N E W H A M P S H I R E M AG A Z I N E MARCH 2 01 9
MEET THE COMMON MAN OUR CORNISH COLONY IS REBORN Alex Ray invites everyone to dinner and a show
The farm that inspired 1,000 masterpieces looks to the future Page 46
Page 56
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Contents 36 First Things 4 Editor’s Note 6 Contributors Page 8 Feedback
Features
46 603 Informer
603 Living
10 Top Events
22 Portsmouth tugboats
64 Health
Art exhibits
by Emily Heidt
14 Our Town
Meet David Price, who’s handcrafted flintlock rifles for 60 years. by Dave Mendelsohn This isn’t your average BLT, and even the humble PB&J gets an upgrade. Find the state’s most inventive, unique and just darn good sandwiches you’ll soon crave. photos and story by Susan Laughlin
photo by Greg Kretschmar
24 What Do You Know?
by Karen A. Jamrog
getting to chatham
73 Local Dish
26 Out and About
recipe by Chris Noble
by Marshall Hudson
Cajun dirty rice
28 Artisan
74 How To
lulu fichter
Lyme
by Susan Laughlin
by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
29 Blips
18 Food & Drink
by Rick Broussard
NH In the news
31 Politics
Setting the backdrop for our presidential primary
by James Pindell
Inspired by the past, Opera North’s new venture at Blow-Me-Down Farm hopes to breathe new artistic life into the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. by Anders Morley
32 First Person
spring-clean like a pro
by Emily Heidt
76 Calendar of Events
what to do this month
edited by Emily Heidt
56 The Common Man
Common Man founder Alex Ray is contemplating retirement. What does that mean for a man who’s devoted his life and career to a beloved family of restaurants, the arts and his community? by Jack Kenny
the future of bioscience
you should have been there
46 The Cornish Colony Reborn
from left: photos by susan laughlin, courtesy and chris saunders
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34 Transcript
36 Ultimate Sandwiches
March 2019
80 Dine Out GOOD EATS
pancakes & syrup
edited by Susan Laughlin
by Erica Thoits
21 Small Bites
Local food & drink news
by Susan Laughlin
88 Ayuh the gold standard
by Daniel S. Mariaschin
ON THE COVER Hope you’re hungry. Food Editor Susan Laughlin traveled the state to find delicious and inventive sandwiches. See what she discovered starting on page 36.
Tourism à la Mud
by Ken Sheldon
Volume 32, Number 3 ISSN 1560-4949 nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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EDITOR’S NOTE
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The favorite restaurant of my young family (nearly 30 years ago) was the Capital City Diner on South Main Street in Concord. It was fun, served kid-friendly food, and the owner, according to his own staff, was cool.
ow, I spent a lot of time in the restaurant business as a young man (mostly as a dishwasher and cook-intraining), and one thing that I had never heard before from waitstaff or chefs was that the owner was “cool,” but that was what we were told. I was a freelance journalist at the time and, even then, it sounded like there might be a good story somewhere behind the scenes. Hard to believe it’s taken so long to get around to actually working on the story of that cool owner, a guy named Alex Ray (page 56). The Capital City Diner is no more, but if you’ve lived in New Hampshire for more than a few days, you’ve probably eaten in one of Ray’s many Common Man restaurants around the state, or perhaps caught a show at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth. You’ve at least taken a pit stop at the Hooksett tolls on I-93, and appreciated the fact that the state finally has a worthy visitor center for the masses from Mass. (and beyond) who come here for adventure (and booze). All these are products of Ray’s creative vision and work ethic. And that’s just the part you see. He’s a tireless behind-the-scenes benefactor of causes from children’s theatre to recovery. I’ve observed the state from a kind of sky box over the years as a result of my job, and certain people on the playing field have stood out and become personal heroes of mine. Inventor Dean Kamen, who sparks joy with his science-fiction-worthy gadgets (and his world-changing FIRST program) is in that group. So is alpha-homeboy Jud Hale of Yankee Magazine (who is now my fellow employee at Yankee Publishing). Add Arnie Arnesen, a Democratic campaigner from way back who always imbues her liberal worldview with good humor, candor and generosity, and uses her media platforms to keep the pot stirred (to “keep the scum from rising,” she says). Former Republican leader Steve Duprey, who now occupies himself as a developer trying to make
Concord the coolest city in New Hampshire, is another hero of mine. There are a few others, and Alex Ray is high on the list. I’m sure none of these are unflawed human beings, but each is someone I’ve looked up to and learned from, finding personal inspiration in the process. Mythological figures, such as Zeus and Mercury, were similarly heroic, inspirational and flawed. In fact, Roman and Greek gods and demigods were often exhibits of the worst of human nature as much as the best. They possessed cosmic powers but had human foibles. So when I learned about how the world-famous sculptor Augustus SaintGaudens was celebrated by his artistic friends and colleagues in the Cornish Colony over a century ago, I completely got it. The story starts on page 46, but briefly what took place is this: As the great sculptor was in declining health, on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the colony, an outdoor play was staged in his honor with his friends taking on the roles of classic gods and heroes. Saint-Gaudens was familiar with such symbolic pageants, but this one offered a surprise when the gods “broke the fourth wall” and entered the audience to present him with a mystical golden bowl, declaring him to be the greatest of them all. We are each surrounded by a cast of characters who fulfill such roles in our lives, enriching, empowering, and sometimes vexing us along the way to our destinies. You’ve got your own list, I’m sure, or else you should get out more. And if it helps to envision them as your personal set of Avengers or Justice League members rather than a pantheon of toga-clad superbeings, that’s cool, but sometimes you’ve just got to step out and give the golden bowl to someone who really deserves it. Someone like Alex Ray.
Contributors Susan Laughlin, who wrote the cover story “Ultimate Sandwiches,” has been New Hampshire Magazine’s food editor for more than 16 years. She has traveled the state with fork and camera in hand, looking for the best breakfasts, burgers, poutine and overall dining excellence. Over the years, she’s written about the state’s top restaurants and chefs, young farmers, where to find the best brunch, and profiles of entrepreneurial brewers and distillers. She’s also been tapped by other publishers, including Food Network Magazine, Phaidon and Yankee Magazine, for her local dining expertise.
for March 2019
Anders Morley, who wrote the feature story “Playground of the Gods,” is a freelance writer and translator from New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Magazine contributor Jack Kenny wrote the feature story “A Common Man.” He is a freelance writer who lives in Manchester.
Jared Charney shot the portrait photos for the story “A Common Man.” You can see more of his work at jaredcharney.com.
Photographer Jenn Bakos took the photos for this month’s “Food and Drink” story. See more at jennbakosphoto.com.
Regular contributor and freelancer Karen A. Jamrog wrote the extended “Health” story that opens this month’s “Living” section.
Ken Sheldon, whom you may recognize as Fred Marple of the fictional town Frost Heaves, wrote this month’s “Ayuh.” frostheaves.com
About | Behind The Scenes at New Hampshire Magazine The Ick Factor: Lyme Ticks
Artist Marc Sutherland loves revealing nature’s odd details, like the business end of a deer tick.
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We’re excited (and a little unnerved) to bring our readers a feature story in next month’s edition that focuses on Lyme disease. Our regular Health department writer, Karen Jamrog, put a humanistic spin on the topic by interviewing a number of local folks who have contracted Lyme, and are using their talents in art and business to spread awareness and lobby for change. Each individual portrait shines additional light on what it takes to get a solid diagnosis or to manage life with this vexing and controversial disease. We’ll offer the latest science on the treatment and the possibilities for a cure, and provide some helpful information on how to avoid becoming a Lyme patient. We’re also employing the considerable talents of Seacoast illustrator Marc Sutherland, whose incredibly detailed and informative nature portraits have graced the pages of NH Fish and Game’s magazine for years. While his drawings (like the one to the left) may not make you like ticks any more, they will remind you what a fascinating world we live in, and provide a little more curiosity about the creatures that live and breathe alongside us. Appropriately enough, our April issue will also feature our 2019 list of the state’s top doctors in a variety of the most-needed specialties, so pick up a copy. It could be good for whatever ails you.
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Send letters to Editor Rick Broussard, New Hampshire Magazine, 150 Dow St. Manchester, NH 03101 or email him at editor@nhmagazine.com.
Feedback
nhmagazine.com, facebook.com/NHMagazine & @nhmagazine
Faithful Reader Writes I look forward to reading your magazine every month and particularly enjoyed February’s issue, especially reminiscing with Jack Kenny and his interesting life “Why I Hate Plato” [“First Person”] and discovering Richard Potter in “Old Black Magic” [“Review”]. As a matter of fact, I read the whole issue cover to cover. Keep up the good work! Susan Nightingale Lisbon
Experience With “The Weed” Read your article on the update on cannabis in the state of New Hampshire [“Surrounded,” January 2019]. Thanks for your standing in there and telling your story and experience. It must be a relief to talk more openly about our own past experiences with “the weed.” You did honorable service to the public in your well-written story and thoughts. Reflective to many of your readers. Peace. Doug Darrell Barnstead Editor’s Note: Doug Darrell appeared on our “It List” back in the December 2012 issue for his “jury nullification” verdict in a trial regarding his religious use of cannabis.
More History, Please We enjoy New Hampshire Magazine and look forward to getting it each month. We became familiar with New Hampshire when our son worked there and we visited two or three times a year. Right now, it is our favorite spot to visit. I find the magazine could be stronger on enhancing the historical sites that one could visit or more of the activities that are ongoing. I am not suggesting you turn it into a tourist magazine as we like the local flavors that it presently has, but maybe a couple of pages a month to detail some abandoned mine site or power plant or an explanation of an old manufacturing plant or farming activity. I would suggest a regular section that might appear every month or two. Call it “NH History.” Just a suggestion. Michael Janis Nazareth, Pennsylvania 8
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emails, snail mail, facebook, tweets
Editor’s Note: We love state history too, and our regular “What Do You Know?” column tends to cover a lot of the ground you mention, though the sites the writer discovers are often way off the beaten path. We’ll take your suggestion under advisement and see what happens.
Two Words? With regards to James Pindell’s article [“Politics,” February 2019], I have two words: Pah-Leeze! Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Maybe he should try decaf with a shot of Baileys in it — lighten up! Happy Valentine’s Day. Donna Frost Stratham Editor’s Note: James Pindell is doing fine, but the excitement of a new first-in-the-nation presidential primary has a way of making political writers feel a bit coltish. The decaf/Baileys cure might come in even handier once the candidates start to arrive at our border in caravans.
Awesome Thank you for your awesome magazine! I really love reading about local attractions, businesses and products. I look forward to the new issue every month. Jo-Ann Theriault Greenland
Thanks, Mr. Morley A New Hampshire friend just sent me Anders Morley’s article “Prepared for Anything” from your October 2018 issue. It was a wonderful piece, wise and sympathetic, and clarifying about the New Hampshire social character. Since the wildfires in California where we are, I expect more people here are thinking about survival. Today we’re having solar panels installed to make us less dependent on the grid, since the court has told the power company they have to cut people’s power whenever there is even a small fire. So much for the food freezer. Good to know about freeze-dried meals that last 20 years. Thanks for the tip, Mr. Morley. Roger Hagan St. Helena, California
Old Courthouse, Big New Year For us at the Old Courthouse, 2018 was a wonderful, crazy year. And we owe you an apology for not acknowledging your naming
us Best of NH: Historic Dining [“Best of NH,” July 2018]. That certainly gave our restaurant a boost — and we’ve barely seen the light since, so thank you. Our year ended with OpenTable giving us a Diners’ Choice Award and Only In New Hampshire naming us as one of 10 NH restaurants to add to your bucket list for 2019. We are proud to be a part of New Hampshire’s vibrant hospitality industry and appreciate all New Hampshire Magazine does to promote New Hampshire businesses. Jane Rastallis Karen Rastallis Doucette Newport
Bowled Over by Mike Morin Mike Morin’s candlepin article in the February issue [“Fast Lanes”] resurrected a host of personal memories for me. As kids, candlepin bowling was what we did on the weekends. If you had a date, you went bowling with your date. If you didn’t have a date, you went bowling with your friends. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, but lived in Ohio for 20 years where they only have 10-pin lanes. When my Midwest friends come to New Hampshire, we play a string or two, and they are always delighted at the challenge of the game. I currently bowl in a league at Boutwell’s in Concord, New Hampshire, and still love the fun and competition of the game. I am not a great bowler, and fortunately, the league I bowl in is more for fun than competition. Good thing, ’cuz I think my team is currently in last place. It is a retired folks league of “year rounders.” We bowl from September through April (30 weeks, depending on snow days) on Thursdays. Thanks for a great piece! Marty Brennan Pittsfield
True Horse Fan Really enjoyed “Galloping to the Rescue” [February 2019]. I always wanted a pony growing up, and my parents always said “too expensive and a lot of work.” My Grandpa always said he would get me one but it never happened. He should have gotten himself one as he was a true horse fan. He rode in the Calvary Division in WWI. Wendy Reed Nashua
NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT? Spot four newts like the one above (but much smaller) hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win a great gift from a local artisan or company. To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, send answers plus your name and mailing address to:
Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101 Email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310.
This month’s lucky Newt Spotter will receive a Red Daphne Sleboggan that retails for $119. A Sleboggan is a patented device for steering toboggans. Invented by William Herrick of Wilmot, New Hampshire, it allows individuals to safely steer and control most of today’s plastic sledding toys down a snow-covered hill. Learn more at sleboggan.com. Sleboggan is a proud member of New Hampshire Made (nhmade.com).
Last month’s “Spot the Newt” winner is Cindy Wentworth of Lisbon. February issue newts were on pages 19, 25, 73 and 76.
nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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courtesy photo
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way — things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keeffe
Top Events 10 Our Town 14 Food & Drink 18 Small Bites 21
Neon Wilderness
courtesy photos
March 28–April 26, Kelley Stelling Contemporary, Manchester
This is a group exhibition featuring Megan Bogonovich, Preta Wolzak and Michael Andrew Phillips. Bogonovich is a ceramics artist who uses antique porcelain molds and colorful glazes to create fanciful sculpture. Wolzak, who is based in Amsterdam, incorporates a series of silk scarves with images of plastic dolls she has augmented and photographed. Phillips, a young artist inspired by the great abstract expressionists, will show his large-scale paintings, which he creates on the floor using a mix of mediums. kelleystellingcontemporary.com Artwork by Megan Bogonovich (opposite page), Michael Andrew Phillips (top left) and Preta Wolzak (bottom left) nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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EVENTS
March | Picks
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Art Exhibits
Brighten Your Day
Tired of looking outside and seeing only white, brown and gray? Change your scenery with one of these colorful art exhibits.
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Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, “My Sea, My Sister, My Tears,” 2011, glass beads sewn onto fabric
Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence March 23-June 10, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester
This exhibit showcases a new form of bead art, “ndwango“ (cloth), developed by a community of women living and working together in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Using skills passed down through generations, the Ubuhle women have created a multidimensional, contemporary art form by applying exquisite Czech glass beads onto plain black cloth, reminiscent of the Xhosa headscarves and skirts that many of the women wore growing up. From every vantage point, the meticulous skill and labor that went into each work becomes strikingly apparent. currier.org
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EVENTS
Annual PSU Student Juried Exhibit March 1-March 26, Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth
Chromatic March 1-April 7, 3S Artspace, Portsmouth
courtesy photo
Highlighting strength, energy, passion and technical skill of Plymouth State University art students, this annual exhibition features the best efforts of students from all levels of art making. Through exploration and experimentation inside and outside the classroom, this exhibition includes a wide variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media. plymouth.edu/museum-of-the-white-mountains
International Mail Art Exhibition March 8-April 14, Sharon Arts Center Exhibition Gallery, Peterborough
Lucinda Bliss and Chuck Welch invite the community to send their mail art, including postcards, collage, Xerox art, artists’ stamps, rubber stamp art, zines, visual poetry and anything else you can send through the mail. Work will be included alongside international artists in this group exhibition. Participants will also have the opportunity to create new contacts and trade artwork with artists abroad. nhia.edu
[E]MISSION[S]: CRITICAL March 29-May 18, The Lamont Gallery, Exeter
Linda Behar presents her work in this unique exhibition. The collaborative project is part of an ongoing investigation into the representation of women’s bodies and gender identity. Behar was inspired by the complex floral and geometric designs in coloring books, and her work represents the variety of personalities and worlds in which each of us are living. 3sarts.org
1. Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence, Manchester 2. Annual PSU Student Juried Exhibit, Plymouth
3. Chromatic, Portsmouth This is an environmentally themed exhibition featuring four contemporary artists who reflect on the state of our natural surround4. International Mail Art Exhibition, Peterborough ings in light of climate change. It will feature the works of Evan 5. [E]MISSION[S]: CRITICAL, Exeter Anderman, Tom Hall and many more. exeter.edu RVRWDS -588- RWE NHM 7x4.95 Skier Ad.qxp_Layout 1 2/5/19 3:19 PM Page 1
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OUR TOWN
Dining With History A favorite restaurant brings us to Lyme By Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
W
e’ve driven through Lyme for years, each time commenting on the pretty village around its green, and on the long line of horse sheds behind the white church. But we never stopped to spend any time there until we learned that Chef Martin Murphy had moved Ariana’s Restaurant into The Lyme Inn. It was all the reason we needed to book a room. Dinner was well worth traveling for. The extent of the menu surprised us; instead of the expected two or three daily specials, we found as many options there as on the regular menu, evenly split between small and large plates. The specials menu, which changes four times a week, is printed instead of recited — an innovation we applaud. The chef is especially known for seafood, which is flown in daily, and for using beef and veal from local farms. The night we dined there we had the choice of Portuguese seafood stew, seared scallops, a fish tartare
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trio, mussels in lemongrass and curried shrimp, along with more than a dozen other dishes. I especially liked the option of selecting two small plates (although they weren’t so small). I began with tiny shrimp in a savory Thai broth with ginger and a touch chili — so good I considered repeating it for my second small plate. But I would have missed the meltingly tender braised beef brisket served with grits in a rich reduction that echoed the deep flavor of the beef. We were tempted by the description of a gingerbread upside-down cake with caramelized pears, but chose a lighter blackberry-cabernet sorbet. The Lyme Inn strikes the delicate balance of historic warmth and contemporary luxuries, maintaining the spirit of the centuries-old inn it is, but without the creaky floorboards. Our large room overlooking the common had a comfortable sitting area beside a fireplace, wide-board floors and hewn
photo by stillman rogers
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The Lyme Inn is ideal for a cozy getaway.
beams, a marble bath with a deep double tub and walk-in shower. Built in 1809, the building was always used as an inn, and was a center for community activities and Grange meetings in the 19th century. In the morning, Ariana’s morphs into a bright breakfast room with views across the village. A huge bowl of fresh berries, granola, warm poppy-seed scones and a hot egg dish served with smoky bacon sent us off into the winter morning to admire the homes around the common. Several of these date to the 1700s; most were built before the Civil War. The long Lyme Common held a skating rink, along with a Civil War monument and a cannon, purchased in a Boston junkyard and brought to Lyme in about 1850. It was fired on patriotic occasions until residents got tired of replacing broken windows and demanded its removal. It was hidden and lost for years until discovered and returned (in non-firing condition) in 1955. We learned this (and that the common used to have two flagpoles, one
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OUR TOWN
photos by stillman rogers
One of the beautiful, expansive suites at The Lyme Inn
actly as it always has, except that the dome was sheathed in gold leaf until painted black during World War II. At the head of the common, behind the church, stretches New England’s longest row of attached horse sheds, 27 in all, used when owners came to church and whenever they were in the village. Beside them, a tiny
for Democrats and one for Republicans) from the detailed listing of historic buildings and monuments compiled by Lyme’s Heritage Commission. The focal point of Lyme Common is the white clapboard Congregational Church, which was built from 1808 to 1811 in classic Federal style. The church looks almost ex-
building with a single barred window was built as the town’s jail, later used for what was called a tramp house, sheltering hobos and itinerants looking for farm work. To our surprise, we found the Lyme History Museum open on Saturday morning, even in mid-winter. Lyme has a long-standing regard for preserving its history, and the Lyme historians recently moved the collections to the Churchill-Melvin House, facing the common. Five exhibit rooms explore local themes and tell the story of the house itself, built as a law office and later expanded into a Victorian home. Also unlike many town museums, Lyme’s has changing curated exhibits, and the current one explores the many ways locals once enjoyed winter. Strap-on ice skates, a traverse sled, a 1914 homemade sleeping bag and a sled made from a single barrel stave are highlights. The parlor is restored to the Victorian period and features a working Estey organ. Old kitchen utensils are displayed as a hands-on guessing game with the signs turned over — a neat way to draw kids (and adults) into the collection. Lyme Historians has undertaken a Cellar Hole Project to locate and document
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Online Auction
March 7th through April 4th • 200 additional items are sold online! www.biddingforgood.com/girlsincnewhampshire
SILver SPOnSOrS The Nash Group
Eastern Bank 92.5 the River Patsy’s Bus Piccola Italia Ristorante The Union Leader Dunkin’ Donuts - Scrivanos Family Dunkin’ Donuts - Andrade Family WMUR Sam’s Club nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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OUR TOWN
photo by stillman rogers
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After enjoying fine dining at Ariana’s Restaurant at The Lyme Inn, ski off some calories at the Dartmouth Skiway (pictured) or at the Green Woodlands ski area.
abandoned farm sites. Chartered in 1761, Lyme was settled by homesteaders who came to farm the rich Connecticut River floodplain. Farming and timbering cleared 85 percent of the land, which soon became pasture for Merino sheep. At the height of New England’s wool boom, Lyme
The Lyme History Museum
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had a sheep population of more than 13,000, making it one of New England’s largest wool-producing towns. As the boom waned and hill farms were abandoned, pastures that once covered Lyme’s hillsides were reclaimed by forest. Today’s farms are mostly located in the riverside plain, and produce beef, dairy products, Christmas trees, maple syrup and turkeys; Lyme native Dan Baily and his wife Millie do a brisk business each November, selling as many as 500 free-range turkeys raised on their farm. We knew about (and have skied) the Dartmouth Skiway, hidden in the hills behind the inn, but innkeeper Jack Elliott told us about an unusual cross-country ski area at Green Woodlands. Not only is skiing on the 50 kilometers of dual groomed trails free, but so are the loaner skis and the hot cocoa in the warming huts. “The only payment expected is a smile,” Elliott told
us. Connecting with nature is what Green Woodlands is all about, and the 35-squaremile wilderness area is cut with trails for snowmobiles, mountain bikes, horseback riding, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. NH
Check it out The Lyme Inn (603) 795-4824 thelymeinn.com Ariana’s Restaurant (603) 795-4824 arianasrestaurant.com Lyme History Museum (603) 795-2508 lymehistorians.wordpress.com Dartmouth Skiway (603) 795-2143 skiway.dartmouth.edu Green Woodlands Foundation greenwoodlands.org
SATURDAY
APRIL 6
8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
GRAPPONE CONFERENCE CENTER CONCORD, NH
THEY’RE TALKING, ARE WE LISTENING? FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY
Dartmouth-Hitchcock will host a two-day Summit focused on our youth. On Friday, April 5, invited high-school aged students from across the State of New Hampshire will come together to discuss the challenges they face, celebrate successes and develop solutions. Parents, educators, legislators and anyone interested in the pressures our youth face are invited to attend on Saturday, April 6. Students' voices from Day One will be heard, and observations from the topic experts who attended the previous day's discussion will be shared.
TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:
REGISTRATION IS $10 PER PERSON.
- Academic Pressures - Addiction - Advocacy - Bullying and Cyberbullying - Community Support - Eating Disorders - Race and Gender Equality - Self Harm - Sexuality, Gender and Sexual Identity - Using Social Media for Good
#DHYOUTHSUMMIT
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER, VISIT:
WWW.DHYOUTHSUMMIT.COM
P R E S E N T E D BY
FOOD & DRINK
Mad About Maple
March is the month to dive into local syrup BY ERICA THOITS
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ermont does its best to own maple syrup — the state tree is the sugar maple, and our neighbors even went so far as to designate maple as their state flavor. If you’re wondering if New Hampshire has a state flavor, we don’t. We have a state fruit (pumpkin) and state drink (apple cider) but no flavor. Vermont, by the way, has three state rocks — marble, slate and granite. Considering that we’re the Granite State, then we say we can lay claim to maple as our official flavor. Someone get the Statehouse on the job. New Hampshire has plenty of opportunities to taste and buy local maple syrup, and now is the perfect time to explore the
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world of all things maple. March is the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association’s Maple Sugaring Month (March 9-31), which includes the 24th Annual NH Maple Weekend (March 23-24). Sugar houses around the state will open their doors to the public, sharing information on the centuries-old tradition of making maple syrup. And, of course, there will be plenty of sweet treats, from sugar-on-snow to maple candy. The weekend also includes other fun things to do, such as horse-drawn sleigh rides, pancake breakfasts and more. A great place to begin your maple adventure is the Heritage Farm Pancake House in Sanbornton (pictured here). Start
Heritage Farm Pancake House in Sanbornton has it all — local syrup, a hearty breakfast and the chance to tour a sugarhouse,
off your day of learning with one of the best breakfasts around. Order up a stack, pour on the syrup that’s made right on-site and dig in. As an added bonus, they use farmfresh eggs, homegrown potatoes for the home fries, and bacon from Canterbury’s Fox Country Smoke House. After you’re full of pancakes and syrup, see how they make the tasty golden stuff with a tour of their sugarhouse. The tour also includes a tractor ride, tree-tapping, tasting and maple candy-making. There are many other great events happening all around the state (visit nhmapleproducers.com to find one near you), but here are a few recommendations. The Rocks in Bethlehem, a lovely historic estate, hosts the New Hampshire Maple Experience (March 16, 23-24, 30-31 and April 6), where you can learn how to identify sugar
photos by jenn bakos
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photos by jenn bakos
FOOD & DRINK
nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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FOOD & DRINK
maple trees, get hands-on practice with tapping and collecting syrup, and see the process of turning sap into syrup up-close. Plus, there will be lots of pancakes and syrup. At Charmingfare Farm in Candia, hop aboard the horse-drawn Maple Express (March 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 and 30-31). The 20-minute trip takes you to a sugar shack where you’ll learn about all things maple syrup. After, enjoy pancakes with freshly made syrup. It isn’t just sugarhouses and farms that get in on the Maple Month fun. The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner devotes their grounds to the sweet stuff during NH Maple Weekend. Each day is packed with demonstrations and events, plus you can enjoy complimentary tastings of their maple syrup, Indian griddle cakes and sugar-on-snow. This is also a fun opportunity to learn about boiling sap the traditional Native American way. In Laconia, Prescott Farm’s Tap Into Maple days (Saturdays, March 2-30) provide hands-on participation in every step of the syrup-making process. Environmental educators are also on hand to help you build your tree identification skills. This is just a small sampling of what’s happening this month. Visit nhmagazine. com/winter for more maple event ideas and other pancake houses around the state. NH
Find It
NH Maple Month and Weekend nhmapleproducers.com Heritage Farm Pancake House 16 Parker Hill Rd., Sanbornton heritagefarm.net The Rocks NH Maple Experience 4 Christmas Ln., Bethlehem therocks.org/maple.php
Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum NH Maple Weekend 18 Highlawn Rd., Warner indianmuseum.org
Here and above: Heritage Farm Pancake House
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Prescott Farm Tap Into Maple 928 White Oaks Rd., Laconia prescottfarm.org
photos by jenn bakos
Charmingfare Farm Maple Express 774 High St., Candia visitthefarm.com
SMALL BITES
Small Bites
603 NAVIGATOR
Food news and events from around the state by Susan Laughlin
Food News Openings
Dixie Blues Restaurant & Bar in Manchester is expected to open in March or April with Chef Chris Noble, formerly of the now-closed bluAqua Restaurant & Bar in Amherst, at the helm. The Nashua location is already open. dixiebluesnh.com
Another Nashua brewery, Spyglass Brewing, is open on weekends only. Find a nice list of New England-style IPAs. spyglassbrewing.com The well-loved Tucker’s is opening a location in the newly renovated Merrimack 360 Shopping Center, plus a location on Huse Road in Manchester. tuckersnh.com Greenleaf, run by Keith Sarasin of the Farmers Dinner and Chef Chris Viaud, is also expected to open this spring in a former bank building near the Milford Oval. greenleafmilford.com The Bungalow Club is open in Exeter, offering a community space for members only, shared workspace, event space and a social club atmosphere with food and drink. bungalowclubexeter.com Liquid Therapy has opened in the historic former firehouse on Court Street. The beer list is intriguing. liquidtherapynh.com.
The Thirsty Moose Taphouse is also opening another spot in the Merrimack 360 mall as well. thirstymoosetaphouse.com The Pickering House Inn opened in Wolfeboro this past August. Besides a delightful restoration of a historic structure, the team offers Saturday night suppers, wine dinners and occasional cooking lessons. pickeringhousewolfeboro.com
Closings Cabonnay, which was a beautiful venue at 55 Bridge St. in Manchester, closed abruptly in January. 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria recently closed both its Portsmouth and Epping locations. The Manchester location will remain open. 900degrees.com If you never visited The Quill at SNHU, it’s too late. The student-run restaurant is closed and the school is “teaching out” the remaining culinary students.
courtesy photo
Backyard Garlic Grow it and they will come
For many home cooks, fresh garlic is a wonderful addition, but it’s always a pain to peel, separate and mince. And sometimes those little cloves have withered away in the drawer. Coming to the rescue is Backyard Garlic. It’s a handy grinder of dehydrated garlic grown in “backyards” in Portsmouth. Margaret Witham and Rebecca Hennessy plant garlic cloves in October and harvest the bulbs in mid-summer. Additionally, Two Toad Farm, Fat Peach Farm and Willoughby Farm are involved as well. You can place an order online at backyardgarlic. farm, or find them this winter at the Seacoast Winter Farmers Market at Wentworth Greenhouses. Local retail outlets include Johnson Golden Harvest in Hooksett and the Vernon Family Farm in Newfields. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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“One reason a lot of us live here is probably that surviving and flourishing in this climate is such a good, moral thing to do. It’s decadent to be warm all the time.” —Willem Lange, “Tales from the Edge of the Woods”
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Photo by Greg Kretschmar
What Do You Know? 24 Out and About 26 Artisan 28 Blips 29 Politics 31 First Person 32
Into the Snow Braving a storm for a photo
When most people see snow blowing by their windows, they turn up the heat and settle in for a cozy day on the couch. For Greg Kretschmar, he saw an opportunity for a great photo. “I ventured down to the waterfront in Portsmouth during a midday snowstorm in hopes of capturing the whipping snow in front of the iconic tugs,” says Kretschmar. The wind was so strong, in fact, that he had to use an umbrella to protect the lens. “I’m sure I was the only guy in town, out in a snowstorm, using an umbrella,” he adds. We bet he’s probably right. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
photos by marshall hudson
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Out of the Way
It’s the one NH town where the old farmer’s warning “you can’t get there from here” is true BY MARSHALL HUDSON
T
here’s an old joke about a lost tourist asking a New Hampshire farmer “How do I get to Chatham from here?” The farmer answers, “You can’t get there from here.” While it might be a joke, it is also a quirky trivia fact. There are no roads going into the center of Chatham from New Hampshire. To get to Chatham from anywhere in New Hampshire, you first have to take a lengthy detour through Maine. Even residents of South Chatham can’t get to the town offices in the center of Chatham without first going out of town — and out of state. When the boundary line between New Hampshire and Maine was first drawn on a map, whoever drew it didn’t take into
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consideration the topography of the area. It’s been said that this anonymous mapmaker who drew the line separating the two states must have been crazy. Chatham is bounded by Maine on the east and by rugged mountains on the north, west and south. Eighty percent of the land in town is now part of the White Mountain National Forest, with the balance being a ribbon of arable land snuggled between the mountains and the Maine border. The mountain range to the west forms a natural barrier that cuts off the town from the rest of New Hampshire. The mountains also discouraged the early development of roads into town from the New Hampshire side. With the land now owned by the federal government as part of the
This home’s barn, woodshed and kitchen are in Maine, but the rest is located in New Hampshire. The state line actually falls between two of the house’s windows.
White Mountain National Forest, new roads aren’t likely to occur, meaning all roads in and out of Chatham go through Maine. To the north, Route 113 through Evans Notch is steep and narrow with sharp corners, and is a scenic drive in the autumn. The road goes through three Maine townships before returning back into Shelburne, New Hampshire, making it a 45-minute around-the-barn trip
photo by marshall hudson
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
The Upper Kimball Pond dam and the footbridge somewhat replace the “bridge out” on Robbins Hill Road that isolates one part of town from the other.
between the two New Hampshire towns. As a state road, the portions situated in New Hampshire are maintained by the NHDOT, but the section in Maine is not plowed in the winter, and the road is closed to traffic. To the east and south, Route 113 will take you out of Chatham, through Stow and Fryeburg, Maine, before bringing you back into South Chatham, New Hampshire, a 5-to-7mile roundabout detour. Robbins Hill Road used to connect South Chatham with the center of Chatham, but when a bridge on the road needed expensive repairs, the town voted to discontinue the road and detour through Maine rather than fix the bridge. In 2016, the population of Chatham was 343 full-time residents. Additional seasonal residents enjoy summer homes in Chatham, primarily around Upper Kimball and Lower Kimball Pond, which also straddles the state boundary. White Mountain National Forest campgrounds bring in seasonal visitors as well. There are no restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, hotels or B&Bs in town, so both residents and visitors typically stock up in North Conway to avoid the Maine sales tax before driving through Fryeburg and Stow, Maine, back into Chatham. The state boundary line isn’t always easy to recognize — delivery drivers sometimes try to charge a Maine sales tax, and need to be reminded that they’ve crossed over the line and are in New Hampshire again where there is no sales tax.
The center of Chatham has a town hall office building and a quintessential New England church. There is also an old one-room schoolhouse that was converted into the town library for a few years, though the historical society now uses it. A free-exchange library kiosk replaces the library. There are small farms and sawmills in town, but most residents either work in Maine or drive through Maine and back into New Hampshire to work in Conway or North Conway, about a 45-minute commute. While Chatham is clearly a New Hampshire town, in many ways it links more closely with the state of Maine. Chatham students, grades 1-12, catch the school bus to attend school in Fryeburg, Maine, even though they are part of the Conway school district. Prior to 1968, schoolchildren attended the one-room schoolhouse in Chatham, but it closed when they were no longer able to find a teacher willing and able to tackle teaching eight grades simultaneously. There is no post office in Chatham, and the RFD mail is delivered to residents’ mailboxes out of the Fryeburg post office, but residents still maintain a New Hampshire zip code. The Chatham town dump is located in Maine and, as such, is subject to Maine regulations not New Hampshire laws. Fire and rescue services are provided by mutual-aid assistance dispatched from across the border in Fryeburg to handle Chatham’s needs for ambulance, fire and
603 INFORMER rescue. Chatham does have a one-bay fire station with one fire truck, which is part of the Maine Saco Valley Fire Department, but it is kept in North Chatham. Law enforcement is provided by the Carroll County Sheriff ’s office with the assistance of a town constable and the New Hampshire State Police. State police must cross in and out of Maine to enter their jurisdiction. Both Maine and New Hampshire police often respond to a camping area located along the border in Evans Notch when summer soirées get a bit too boisterous. In the bygone years before cell phones, when landlines were hardwired to switchboards and out-of-state long-distance calls were expensive, a call placed from Chatham to anywhere else in New Hampshire was an out-of-state long-distance call and had to be prefaced by the 603 area code. Ironically, calls to neighboring Maine towns were instate calls and no prefix was needed. Chatham enjoys this dual-state split personality created by geography and the whim of political land divisions. Several houses straddling the state line proudly display signs indicating which portion of the house is in New Hampshire and which portion is in Maine. At one such house, siblings might legally be different residents of different states depending on which side of the house their bedroom is in. In another house, when the legal drinking age was different between the two states, a 19-year-old might have been legally able to have a beer in the living room, but not in the kitchen. At a farm where the house is in New Hampshire and the attached barn is in Maine, the farmer was a New Hampshire resident, but worked in Maine milking his cows. His commute to work was through his ell woodshed, and because he worked in Maine he had to file Maine income tax. Another house built in New Hampshire before the indoor plumbing fad caught on added a room onto the back of the house for a bathroom. The new addition was over the line in Maine, so while the residents of the house live in New Hampshire, they must travel out of state to use the bathroom. Hiking trails traverse into Chatham from the neighboring New Hampshire towns of Jackson, Bartlett, Conway and the unincorporated township of Bean’s Purchase, so if the lost tourist was inclined to trek up and over some not-quite-4,000-foot high mountains, then perhaps he could get there from here after all. NH nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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SCENE
Out and About You Should Have Been There
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1/16 New Hampshire Theatre Awards
The NH Theatre Alliance hosted the Granite State’s biggest night for local community and professional theatre and brought a packed house to Concord’s Capitol Center for the Arts for their 17th annual awards night. 1 The cast of Actorsingers performs a medley from “Pippin.” 2 Angelo Gentile and Eric Skoglund 3 Sophie Pankhurst of the Winnipesaukee Players youth company performs a song from their nominated show “Aida.” Her role won her Best Supporting Actress in the youth division. 4 New Hampshire Magazine Editor Rick Broussard and his wife Jemi receive joint lifetime achievement awards. 5 Dale Byrd, James Middleton III and Elliot Owens 6 Louis Burkot and Maria Laskaris of Opera North accept the Vision and Tenacity Award for their company. 7 RB Productions performs “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from their “Mary Poppins” production. 8 The NHTA Performance Ensemble sings “You Walk With Me” as a tribute to theatre people who passed away in 2018.
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photos by pt sullivan
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photos by susan laughlin
SCENE
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1/24 Winter Wine Spectacular
The 16th annual Winter Wine Spectacular to benefit Easterseals NH was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester. This impressive wine tasting event is a part of New Hampshire Wine Week, hosted by New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets. 1 Jean-Charles Boisset, proprietor of the Boisset Collection and DeLoach Vineyards 2 Detroit Pistons legend and NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who is collaborating with Cheurlin Champagne 3 From left: Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Nicole Brassard Jordan, New Hampshire State Liquor Commission director of sales, marketing merchandising and distribution
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ARTISAN
Relishing Relics A river ran through it BY SUSAN LAUGHLIN
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he latest ceramic works by Peterborough artist Lulu Fichter reveal a destination via a road she’s been traveling for some time. Her earlier porcelain work was glazed white, with hand-punched circles providing most of the design. Then, for a while, she tired of white, and glazed everything all black, from vases to bowls. Now, her work is more highly developed. In a move away from the wheel, she handbuilds the objects that look like they evolved through some creative twist of natural selection on another planet. The organic look is detailed by modeling the clay when it is leather-hard, a labor-intensive process. Her ceramic pieces, for the most part, lost their function as bowls or vases and now look more like found artifacts. Maybe what
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sea urchins or bizarre life forms from the depths would look like when petrified. A few are bone white — just the natural finish of porcelain clay with only one firing and no glaze. Others started out white and picked up natural hues of subtle greens and grays after a lengthy stay in a local river. Fichter leaves the pots in the water and lets serendipity do the work. Different locations with varying water flow will deposit different coloring through mineralization. Leaving the pots in the river has its dangers. It can be a little tricky to retrieve them and, when winter hits, the window to the wild is closed. Most recently, Fichter has rented space in the wood-fired kiln owned by the New Hampshire Institute of Art at the Sharon Arts Center facility in Peterborough.
Object in back: porcelain with no glaze Left: object with glazing from wood ash Right: coloring from river minerals and microbes
Amazingly, the effect of the wood ash on the bare porcelain is reminiscent of the coloring of the river runs, although the greens and browns created from the ash are a little more pronounced. There’s more good news. Fichter was offered a 9-month or so residency at Taliesin West, the Arizona home of Frank Lloyd Wright, which is now a museum and teaching center. In a twist of fate, her late aunt, a sculptor, was an artist-in-residence there for many years. May the circle be unbroken in the shifting sands of time. Prices for the pieces here range from $85 to $300. NH
Find It
Lulu Fichter Studio West Peterborough Facebook (603) 924-1003
photo by susan laughlin
603 INFORMER
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IN THE NEWS
Blips Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006
Carter Murai
Down and Up
Evelyn Cormier
Idol Speculation
Rumor has it, Claremont’s Evelyn Cormier is really going places photos courtesy of “sesame street,” tamworth distilling and rocking horse studios
By Rick Broussard
P
eople in the Claremont/Newport area of the state may have already caught a glimpse of the skyrocket of talent that is Evelyn Cormier. She was born there, and started singing and playing violin as 4-year-old, learning music and guitar at 11. She got the lead role in a local production of “Little Women” after just “walking in off the street,” says her mom, Jacky Cormier, adding, “That’s Evelyn.” She played in a family band, became the worship leader at her church at 14, and released her first EP before she was 17. Her first music video, “Let It Run,” was released in 2017 and has been viewed over 250,000 times. A second, “Nickels and Dimes,” was released last year, and her latest, “Yard Sale Guitar,” produced by Brian Coombes of Rocking Horse Studio, dropped in January. Oh, and she speaks French fluently. Her talents got national exposure when she appeared on Season 5 of the popular TLC reality show “90 Day Fiancé” in 2017 (with the Euro boyfriend that she met on social media and then married on the show), but her most
spectacular moves may be the ones she makes on the current season of “American Idol,” where the singer, now just 20, is reportedly doing very, very well. Although leaks are rare from the set of “Idol,” enough scuttlebutt has made it into the press to let us know that Evelyn is in the top 20, and is impressing the judges with her voice and personality. None of this surprises her family, though her mom insists that “Evelyn never wanted to be a star.” She heard from some of her friends that they were casting for “Idol” so she tried out. “She hadn’t ever watched it — she’s just the kind of person who is ready for anything,” says her mom, adding that within hours of her audition they called her back and “she was off — bing, bang, boom.” But Evelyn doesn’t let success get in the way of her art, says Jackie: “She just loves singing and writing music.” You can check her out when the “American Idol” auditions air on March 3 at the start of the show’s 17th season (the second season on ABC after it moved there from the Fox Network) or learn more at evelyncormier.com. NH
Carter Murai, a seventh-grader at Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford, is an actor who happens to have Down syndrome. He’s stayed pretty busy since landing his first acting gig at 17 months. His dad, Marc Murai, says Carter has appeared in a number of professional roles, including a commercial for JC Penney two years ago, and one for Care.com, which made Carter the first person with Down syndrome to have a spoken line in a national commercial. Most recently he appeared on “Sesame Street” in an episode titled “Honk If You Love Librarians.” The visit to the set was as exciting for Marc as for Carter. “I couldn’t believe it when they let us sit on the ‘one-two-three’ steps,” says Marc. “We also got to sit by Big Bird’s nest. I don’t even have words to describe how magical that was.” After meeting some of the plush cast, Carter declared that Elmo was his favorite. Marc says it was a special assignment for Carter since “Sesame Street” is known for featuring characters with physical differences or disabilities.
Drink Me
Perhaps lured by the infamy of Tamworth Distilling’s Eau de Musc, which attained internet meme status by infusing bourbon with the musk of the American beaver, Paste Magazine recently reviewed three spirits from Tamworth Distilling — don’t worry, our state need not hold its nose. Paste’s official “brown liquor geek” Jim Vorel gave high marks to them all, with particular note given to Tamworth’s Chocorua Rye Whiskey, which he ranked an 8.6 out of 10, calling it “a two-year rye that is clearly punching above its weight.” nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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Vote now! bestofnh.com
The ballot — for food and drink PLUS shops, services and entertainment — is open until March 15. Vote for your favorites in all categories! Save the date for the annual Best of NH Party! JUNE 27 AT NORTHEAST DELTA DENTAL STADIUM Visit bestofnh.com for details. Best of NH Party sponsored by: Grand prize by: Primary Mark 4 Color
To benefit:
POLITICS
Perfect Locations
Our FITN primary is 100 years old, but we’re spry BY JAMES PINDELL
illustration by peter noonan
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ere’s some bad news and good news as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary. First, the bad news: The primary is no longer what most of us romantically conjure up in our minds. No major candidate will move here or suggest this is the state where he or she is solely focused. In fact, the 2020 New Hampshire presidential primary will take place in what is probably the most nationalized election we’ve ever seen. Blame this on technology, and logistical media considerations such as the fact that the nation’s two largest states will hold their primaries three weeks after us. Candidates are already visiting, but they are less concerned with staying at your house or lingering, as the old joke goes, to meet you three times before earning your vote. Here is the harsh reality: Our state has become backdrop for candidates to use for their social media feeds and cable news hits. The good news: If candidates want a backdrop, then just think of the possibilities. The state already has a lot going for it when it comes to political backdrops. A satellite uplink that has “Anytown, New Hampshire,” in the corner of the screen
indicates that the candidate is serious and on the hustings. And if backdrop is what these candidates want, then, by golly, let’s provide more added value. For instance, the Concord Republican Committee started the “Politics and Pies” series for presidential candidates at a charming old snowshoe lodge. A gun club in Londonderry let candidates show their Second Amendment bona fides. In 2020 the ACLU and the University of New Hampshire School of Law will partner on a presidential candidate series called “Civil Liberties and the Presidency.” But local operatives could do so much more to reinforce a candidate’s “messages of the day.” Want the feel of the common man? Why not, as Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren has already done, hold a town hall meeting at the so-named Common Man in blue-collar Claremont? Have a jobs plan and want to show how people and businesses can reinvent themselves? Visit the repurposed mill section in any number of cities. Want to stress female empowerment? Just go to Girls Inc. for a press conference, as our US senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen do every campaign season. Want to be considered pro-military?
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Why, we have a major defense contractor in Nashua where there is already a stage, a built-in crowd of employees and probably great Wi-Fi. And is there really anything better than an outdoor summer event at Portsmouth’s Prescott Park overlooking the naval shipyard? That setting was good enough for John McCain’s announcement of his 2008 presidential campaign. A similar trick worked in 2012 when Mitt Romney announced his presidential campaign at a farm on the Seacoast. He looked all “down home” (with large American flags behind him), and staged national television interviews inside an old farmhouse. How charming! Romney became the nominee that year also. How to appeal to young people? Go to a brewery somewhere in the White Mountains. Go even farther north, if you care, where New Hampshire conveniently has a border with a foreign country. Hello, border wall speeches! All snark aside, the national media created the notion that the New Hampshire primary was a thing in the first place. Clearly the state is too small to have much direct impact on who wins a presidential nomination at the convention months later. But how candidates do in New Hampshire can give them momentum or help winnow down the field. If campaign needs are forcing New Hampshire to change, then the state’s residents should begin to figure out how best to do that. Some imagination and flexibility will be required if people want to keep New Hampshire first in the nation for another century. NH nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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FIRST PERSON
The Gold Standard
Discovering a NH connection to a rock classic BY DANIEL S. MARIASCHIN
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ust before we moved to Swanzey, New Hampshire, from New Jersey in 1955, one of my older sisters brought home a copy of “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets, which was played over and over on our second-hand Columbia 360 record player. It was my introduction to rock ‘n’ roll, and curiously pleasing to my 6-year-old ears. We made the move when my parents bought a women’s clothing store on Central Square in Keene. We brought with us a 10inch RCA Victor TV, but in the era before cable television, reception was poor, unless you had a serious antenna on your roof. We
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did have a trusty GE desk radio plugged in near our kitchen table, and I gravitated more to that than to the TV, notwithstanding it being, we’ve all later concluded, the golden age of television. Before the move, my father bought that used record player in a fine wooden case, and a stash of used 78, 33 and 45 RPM records, covering the gamut from pop to show tunes to classical. My father’s tastes leaned more to opera and symphonies, but from that motley record collection I had my first and only course in music appreciation. Occasionally, I’d buy new records at Beedle’s Music Center on Main Street, or at the
courtesy photos
Daniel S. Mariaschin during his DJ days at WKNE
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FIRST PERSON
Sixty-plus years later and counting, it conjures up record hops and dancing with abandon to a new sound.
courtesy photos
Legendary rocker Bill Haley (left) played with the Keene-based Down Homers country band.
Melody Shop, which was two doors away from my parents’ store. But it was that old collection of my father’s records that kept a musical hold on me. As I got a bit older, I would put the old record player next to a Sears, Roebuck tape recorder my father had bought for me, and, together with one of my best friends, would make our own “radio programs,” playing records from our collection, and reading news and commercials from the Keene Sentinel. Those programs led directly to our deejaying record hops at Monadnock Regional High School. Usually held on Friday or Saturday nights, we’d borrow equipment from the school’s audio-visual department, and records from a few of the students, one of whom seemed to purchase at least two or three new 45s a week. While both of my sisters eventually gravitated to Calypso or to Viennese waltzes and classical piano music, I remained with rock. Our town had one radio station at that time, WKNE (for which I would later work as a disc jockey), but its format was Middle of the Road (MOR), featuring the likes of Patti Page, Jo Stafford, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. For the music I liked, I’d have to tune to Boston’s WBZ, or at night when the radio signals were better, to New York’s WABC. Later, Buffalo’s WKBW would be added to my list of 50,000-watt radio powerhouses that featured a Top 40 format. For all the music that would follow, “Rock Around the Clock” remains, to me, the gold standard. From the “one, two, three o’clock, four o’clock rock” opening, its driving
syncopation, and its raucous blend of saxophone, bass and guitars, it was the perfect dance record. First recorded in 1953, it was re-released in 1955 in conjunction with its being on the soundtrack of the movie “Blackboard Jungle.” While critics and musicologists, professional and amateur, may debate which song actually spawned the rock ‘n’ roll age, Haley’s megahit could very well be the consensus choice. I only recently learned that the Michigan-born and Pennsylvania-raised Haley had a Keene connection. For a brief time in the mid-1940s, he joined a western swing group called the Down Homers, and later formed his own group, the Range Drifters, that performed on WKNE. For a while, he was a disc jockey at the station. When I arrived at the station in 1966, the MOR format was still in place, and the Beatles era was into its seven-year run, played out in Keene on a competing station featuring a rock-only format. Haley and his contemporaries had been unceremoniously pushed aside, only to be re-discovered years later with the popularity of the TV show “Happy Days” and the motion picture “American Graffiti.” I worked parts of six years at WKNE, on weekends, summer vacations and during the Christmas holidays. I even entertained the idea of making radio announcing a career, but the pull of public service moved me in a different direction entirely. I went to University of New Hampshire and received a degree in history (and did some announcing on WUNH on the side), and then went on to Brandeis University, where I received a mas-
ter’s degree in contemporary Jewish studies. With that, I embarked on a career in Jewish community relations, working for such organizations as the Jewish Community Council in Boston and the Anti-Defamation League. For the past 30 years, I’ve been at B’nai B’rith International, the oldest Jewish service organization in the US; the past 19 years as its CEO. Today, I must have “Rock Around the Clock” on a dozen oldies compilations that I keep in my car to play on my way to work. Rather than sounding like a musical dinosaur, its incessant beat remains as fresh as it did the day my sister announced she had bought a new record that was all the rage. Sixty-plus years later and counting, it conjures up record hops and dancing with abandon to a new sound. Haley died too young, at the age of 55, in 1981, yet he lived long enough to see his infectious hit become a national musical icon. NH
About the Author
Daniel S. Mariaschin is the CEO and executive vice president of B’nai B’rith International. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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603 INFORMER
TRANSCRIPT
Muzzle Man Photo and interview by David Mendelsohn
David Price builds guns — muzzle-loading flintlocks — based on history and 300-yearold traditions. They are delicately inlaid with 24-karat gold, sterling silver, mammoth ivory and cow horn, and are intricately engraved. When you pick one up, you know that you’re holding art. Price is also a crack shot, a national champion who, at 81 and at 50 yards, can still put five balls into a group the size of a quarter. I’ve seen it. He lives along the Contoocook River in an idyllic spot with Esther, his lovely wife of 60 years.
Back in the 1950s, movies about Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett were my favorites. There was something about those flintlock rifles that made me want one. Dixie Gun Works was selling muzzleloading gun barrels so I purchased one. I found a plank of maple in the lumberyard, and an antique lock, and built my first flintlock rifle. It didn’t come out all that good. I really don’t know how many rifles I built over the past 60 years. I sign and date all my rifles just as the gun builders did back in the 1700s but no numbers. I never felt the need to do so. Most of my rifles take eight to 12 weeks, depending on how much carving, silver and gold inlay in the wood and steel, plus metal engraving. My engraving is done with a hand engraver just like it was done years ago. I have built rifles that took me six months to build. I don’t keep track of the time it takes. It doesn’t really matter. Any gun that you load from the muzzle is considered a muzzleloader.
The modern stainless steel, scope-sighted inline guns that shoot a sabot bullet are considered a muzzleloader. Burned black powder is very corrosive. If you don’t clean your rifle immediately after shooting, rust will show up within hours. I never fail to clean my rifle when I am through shooting. When I need a break from building rifles, I build powder horns using good quality cow horns. I do sell some horns, but mostly I give them away for shooting prizes. Muzzleloaders come in many calibers, from 36 through 62, sometimes larger. My son and I shot the New Hampshire state record moose with a 54 caliber, so there is plenty of power there. Shooting a flintlock is harder than shooting a modern rifle because there is an ever-so-slight delay from when you pull the trigger and when the gun actually fires. If you make the mistake of flinching, you will be well off your mark. The only way to learn is to shoot them as often as you can and stay away from modern rifles. I have for 60 years.
Price has written four books about making muzzleloaders — one on carving stocks, one on silver wire inlay, and one on the tools necessary for the work. There is also “The Guns of David Price,” his showbook that is currently being updated. He recently started a project of building 25 swivel breech flintlock rifles, using wood he’s stored in his shop for over 30 years. At 81 years old, Price says, “I don’t think I have enough energy to build 25 finished rifles, so I am going to offer them as kits for people that would like to finish them for themselves. Hopefully, they will get the same satisfaction that I have had all these years.” If you’re interested, visit davidpriceflintlocks.com. Thanks and a tip of the “Transcript” top hat to David Price’s granddaughter Gabby Price for recommending him to us. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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The ESPOSITO 36
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The Nashua Garden 121 Main St., Nashua Facebook
This longtime sandwich standby on Main Street in Nashua offers up super-fresh Boar’s Head meats and breads to make their sports-inspired sandwiches. Consider The Esposito with hot capocollo, Genoa salami, mortadella and provolone cheese. Add in your choice of other fillings, such as bacon, sprouts or roasted red pepper, for a slight upcharge. Finally, settle in with a nice draft beer and dine with the likes of Larry Bird, Fred Lynn and other ’70s-era sports heroes, framed and nailed to the wall.
d l e h d n a H Devseiuclteimsate
the sandwiches conveniently deliver a world of flavor between two slices OF bread n Laughlin a s u S y b ed c u d Pro
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What’s a sandwich?
The basics of a good sandwich A good sandwich is made with great bread selected for the specific sandwich, whether it’s a traditional choice or a creative diversion. It’s important that the bread melds well with the interior ingredients. It shouldn’t try to upstage the ingredients it’s embracing.
Housemade bread is always a good start — it’s fresh. For the purpose of this story, it might be easier to say what it isn’t: It’s not a hamburger, wrap or hot dog. It’s not even a submarine sandwich or a breakfast sandwich, despite the use of the word. Hey, we can’t include the entire realm of sandwiches in this discussion — as it is, when it comes to this list, we may have bitten off a little more than we (or you) can chew. It’s said that the fourth Earl of Sandwich invented the concept of the sandwich in the 1700s as a way to provide convenient sustenance while he sat at gaming tables for hours on end. To this day, it remains a popular selection for a grab-and-go lunch or satisfying meal that contains the entire food pyramid. All you need for utensils are your hands. Occasionally, a really great sandwich requires a firm grip with two hands, rolled sleeves and plenty of napkins. With a diverse immigrant population adding various culinary traditions to our Main Street storefronts plus our own homegrown chefs upping the ante, sandwich permutations abound throughout the state. All we know is that a good sandwich can cure what ails your mind. They are a complete journey, maybe even a shortcut, to faraway lands and gastronomic joy. 38
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What lies between the slabs of bread can be a mind-bending savory combination of texture, fat, acid and salt. And a good sandwich balances all these extremes. If it’s a grilled sandwich, we can add the wonderful taste of caramelized sugars as butter and oils brown the bread on the flat top. There always seems to be a tangy pickle accompanying sandwiches, both around the world and in the heart of America. It’s a tradition begun by Jewish immigrants in New York City. The briny vegetable proudly maintains its place aside, atop or inside the handheld glory. It’s the perfect foil for rich meats, oozing cheese and a smörgåsbord of layered happiness.
Destination Sandwiches Sandwich Master Plus Housemade pulled pork with waffle fries and BBQ sauce Gluten-free options available
This is the kind of place food dreams are made of. Outrageous combinations include the Sandwich Master Comfort with pulled pork and mac and cheese, plus fried onion rings layered in between. Or try The Godfather, which comes with Italian sausage, homemade meatballs, shaved steak, and grilled onions and peppers. There are numerous combinations using their meatballs, mac and cheese, housemade pulled pork, chicken fingers, onion rings and sloppy Joe. There’s also an option to use two grilled cheese sandwiches as the top and bottom “bread,” stuffed with your choice of fillings. Salads, burgers, pizza and regular sandwiches are available too. 19 Sonja Dr., Rindge sandwichmaster.net
The Kitchen Every sandwich at this shop is a winner. They’re all creative combinations with just the right amount of tangy sauces to meld the ingredients together. The Italian is massive, and the porchetta is a happy marriage of pork loin and pork belly dripping with succulent pesto and Dijon jam. 171 Islington St., Portsmouth thekitchenportsmouth.com
Umami Farm Fresh Café Umami is a hipster hideout with mismatched furniture set in an old farmhouse that excels at unique sandwich invention. Check out the chalkboard for available options, many of which are burgers, but all of those can be transformed into their Korean fried chicken sandwich version. The menu changes often, but ingredients have included short ribs and caramelized onions, pork belly with a local fried egg or “karaway kraut” with the “fancy sauce.” Be sure to add the truffled shoestring fries. Find more inventive Asian influence in the wok-fried rice and even a bánh mì hot dog. The blackboard also lists all their local farm sources, including their own. Chicken ’n dumplins with Korean fried chicken, smashed pork, leek dumplings and scallion mayo on a sesame roll
284 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood umaminh.com
The Sunrise Shack Well-known for their blueberry pancakes and creative French toast, this roadside café also takes great pride in their offthe-charts sandwiches using, in many cases, local Vintage Baking Company breads. Specials change daily, but think pastrami dripping with beer cheese, house-roasted turkey with lemon watercress mayo or Cajun steak with a layer of griddled mac and cheese. Pair it with the soup special, a locally brewed beer and seize the day. 644 White Mountain Hwy., Glen Facebook
Harrisville General Store
This deli-in-a-bar is a college town staple that keeps locals and travelers alike coming back again and again. Their sub sandwiches are legendary, and the secret is in the toasted buns — these starting points for the famous ’Boas are slathered with garlic and butter. The Zamboa melds thinly sliced buffalo chicken breast with mozzarella, red onions, leafy green lettuce and three strips of bacon, and is finished with a hot sauce and a blue cheese dressing. The turkey pileup combines thinly sliced smoked turkey and roast beef with jalapeño havarti, red onions, bacon, and their own BBQ sauce on an onion roll. How can 40 years of college students be wrong?
The residents of Harrisville are very lucky. Their local corner store accommodates just about any foodie whim — a nice cheese selection, craft beer, Mayfair Farm maple syrup, frozen lobster meat and inviting homemade cookies in glass jars. And then there’s the deli case. The short case is well-stocked (if you come early) with inviting salads, desserts and, of course, sandwiches. The ham and cheese sandwich is extraordinary, thanks to a thick layer of Brie cheese, thin-sliced ham, pickled red onions and a whole village of French cornichons. It’s all held together between a nice baguette, reportedly imported from New York.
83 Main St., Plymouth biedermansdeli.com
29 Church St., Harrisville harrisvillegeneralstore.com
Biederman’s Deli and Pub
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Vietnamese
Saigon Sandwich
The French left their influence in Vietnam with the classic bánh mì, which is served on a crusty baguette. At Saigon Sandwich, Vietnamese chefs (former owners of the Vietnam Noodle House), put together a beauty of a sandwich with a rich pork pâté and roast pork, while the pickled carrots and cucumbers add just the right bite and stems of cilantro make it the real deal. 241 Main St., Nashua Facebook
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Globally Inspired Street MexicAN
From the heart of Mexico comes a torta featuring its own eponymous bun, the cemita. At STREET, find a crispy fried chicken thigh mingled with pickled red onion, avocado and a few leaves of cilantro, all topped with a chipotle mayo sandwiched inside the signature soft sesame seed bun. 801 Islington St., Portsmouth streetfood360.com
Tuscan Kitchen Italian
A good sandwich starts with great bread. Tuscan Kitchen and Market make their own rustic Italian loaves that have just the right about of chew, softness and crust. With a nice array of imported salami and roasted tomatoes, their Italian sandwich starts at a cut above. 67 Main St., Salem 581 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth tuscanbrands.com
Main Street Gyros Greek
Try the lamb gyro on pita with fresh lamb from the spit, a nice garlicky tatziki sauce and Greek-seasoned French fries.
The Tavern at the Bedford Village Inn French
The new tavern renovation at the Bedford Village Inn makes a casual, but upscale dining experience all the more approachable. Try the classic French dip with slow-roasted Niman Ranch beef, a layer of white cheese, peppery arugula and a garlic aioli for the bind that ties. 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford bedfordvillageinn.com
Dixie Blues Restaurant & Bar Cajun
Chef Chris Noble, the former chef of the shuttered bluAqua Restaurant & Bar in Amherst, is originally from New Orleans. Now at his new venture, he’s finally able to strut his stuff. Find his Cajun cuisine here, including jambalaya, oyster po’ boys and a muffuletto sandwich — the signature sandwich of New Orleans created by Italian immigrants. It includes olive relish, plus carefully arranged layers of Genoa salami, mortadella, provolone and Swiss cheese. The bread used here is not the traditional large, round loaf, but is similar in texture and sweetness. The Manchester location of Dixie Blues is expected to open in April and will offer variations on this menu. 345 Amherst St., Nashua dixiebluesnh.com
Noodz Chinese
215 Main St., Nashua mainstreetgyro.com
This new fast-serve restaurant makes both their own ramen noodles and bao buns. The latter are the Chinese version of a sandwich with raised dough that is steamed to finish. Noodz takes the bun up another step with a nice, rich pork belly slab, along with pickled vegetables for a perfect blend of richness and tang.
Habibi Mediterranean Café Middle eastern
Enjoy traditional falafel (deep-fried balls made from ground chickpeas) with parsley, garlic, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and spices served with tahini, all wrapped in a soft, warm pita bread. What could be a more flavorful experience without meat! 2968 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth habibiportsmouth.com
Earth’s Harvest Kitchen & Juicery Middle eastern Chef and owner George Bezanson takes it to the limit with beautifully presented sandwiches, delightful sweets and powerful juices. The Ali Baba features smoked turkey, roasted garlic hummus, whipped and spiced feta, vine-ripe tomato, shaved onion, alfalfa sprouts, baby lettuce and tahini on house-made sourdough bread. It’s peace on Earth, or at least in your mouth for the next 20 minutes. 835 Central Ave., Dover earths-harvest.com
968 Elm St., Manchester Facebook
XO On Elm Venezuelan
Chef Leonardo of Venezuela brought a host of new international options to this Elm Street mainstay. Try the arepas, which come with a variety of fillings for a great international sandwich that’s also gluten-free (they’re made with corn flour). Venezuelans have savored this popular street food for centuries, and now it might just catch on in New Hampshire. 827 Elm St., Manchester xoonelm.com nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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All-American Beef Sandwich
Buckley’s Bakery & Café
When you start with good bread, the rest is almost easy. The deli case at this bakery and café is filled with sandwiches ready to heat in a panini press. The steak and pub cheese has tasty beef with caramelized onions, red bell and jalapeño pepper cheese for a tiny bit of heat on French country white bread. It works! 436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack 9 Market Place, Hollis buckleysbakerycafe.com
Foodie
& Chef
favorites
Michael Buckley
Buckley’s Bakery and Café, Surf, Buckley’s Great Steaks, MT’s Local Kitchen and Wine Bar “I like the Rueben at Jerome’s in Manchester. The corned beef is sliced thin, and there’s plenty of sauerkraut.”
Emshika Alberini Owner of Chang Thai in Littleton “I like to get the turkey sandwich or shrimp po’ boy at Cold Mountain Café in Bethehem. The cozy place has been a mainstay there for years. Now they have a bar and great cocktail list too.”
Kaylon Sweet
Executive Chef at Osteria Poggio, Center Harbor “I can’t help dreaming about the fried chicken thigh sandwich at Kettlehead Brewing Company in Tilton. They serve it with their house-made kimchi or marinated cucumbers.”
Kristy Stephens Ammann Chef and instructor “One of my favorite lunch spots is Umami Farm Fresh Café in Northwood. They always have a creative sandwich that changes daily.”
Matt Louis
BLT
The Everyday Café & Pub
Here’s one of these wonderfully ambitious cafés that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and takes pride in serving local food to the local folks. The BLT is made with maple syrup candied bacon, lettuce and tomato on locally made bread. This is a fun spot with a lot of heart that also serves only local beer. 14 Maple St., Contoocook theeverydaycafenh.com
Squam Lake Marketplace
How many general stores sport a chandelier? The basic BLT is made with wonderfully hearty bread, local bacon and a nice tomato. Don’t forget a sampling of cookies made by the owner’s mother. 42
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(Seasonal, opens in April) 863 Route 3, Holderness squammarket.com
Grilled Cheese The Current
With pulled pork and oozing cheese, the grilled cheese is one of the best choices at The Current, the new restaurant inside the recently rebranded DoubleTree by Hilton (the former Radisson). It also comes with a cup of tomato soup. A nice renovation includes a new bar, and booth and couch seating, all with plenty of USB ports. DoubleTree by Hilton 700 Elm St., Manchester doubletree3.hilton.com/Manchester
Executive Chef of Portsmouth’s Moxy and The Franklin Oyster House He likes the Dagwood at The Works Café in Portsmouth. “It’s the best sandwich in Portsmouth,” he says.
brendan vesey chef/owner the joinery and botanica “I like the bologna sandwich at the Newfields Country Store.”
Mike Morin Foodie Man About Town “Popovers at Brickyard Square in Epping knows just how to treat the genius combo of French toast, house-roasted turkey breast, Swiss cheese and Black Forest ham drenched in maple syrup.”
Reuben Roots at Robie’s General Store
Josh and Amber Enright have a long history of perfecting the sandwich. Josh started at Seedling Café in Nashua, and Amber began at the beloved but now-closed Jewell & The Beanstalk in Manchester. The historic Robie’s General Store is filled with memorabilia gleaned from the political hopefuls at this well-trod whistle-stop. Enjoy a juicy Reuben with the likes of Jack Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. 9 Riverside St., Hooksett rootsatrobies.com
The Gypsy Café
This Lincoln hotspot’s Italian duck grilled cheese sandwich turns a common item to a special occasion meal. This upscale spin on a classic has pulled duck, basil aioli, fig jam and jack cheese for a rich, savory sandwich with a sweet touch. 117 Main St., Lincoln gypsycaferestaurant.com
Lakeside Tavern
This new restaurant in the former Tavern 5 spot offers casual dining downstairs in the pub and relaxed dining with white tablecloths on the main level. Lakeside dining on the deck is perfect during warm weather. The Bird Man sandwich is a beauty with two versions of bird — their own roasted turkey breast topped with fried chicken and lettuce, onion and tomato with mayo on a brioche roll. 157 Main St., Hopkinton lakehousetavern.com
Breadless
Luca’s Mediterranean Café
Club Sandwich
The Bob House and The Reel ’N Tavern
The beauty of the club is that third slice of bread that helps lift and separate. All the sandwiches are supersized here, from the Bob House club and the Tavern Reuben with house-made corned beef to the Auger with black pastrami, onions, mushrooms, BBQ sauce and provolone on grilled rye bread. The grilled cheese is loaded with bacon and tomato. All are pretty easy to try on for size. 520 Whittier Hwy., Moultonborough thebobhouseandreelntavern.com
PB&J
Great Harvest Bread Co.
If you’re avoiding carbs or looking for gluten-free options, the pulled lamb lettuce wrap here has all the satisfaction of a “real” sandwich, but not the carbo-load of bread. Find a taste of the Middle East with the additions of tzatziki sauce, pickled red onions and feta cheese. 10 Central Square, Keene lucascafe.com
Fried Chicken
Sea Dog Brewing Co.
This Maine-based brewery has two charming bar and restaurant locations in North Conway and Exeter. The pickle-brined fried chicken sandwich is the one to savor with excellent crispy fries and, of course, a long pull of Sea Dog’s blueberry wheat ale. 1976 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway 9 Water St., Exeter seadogbrewing.com 44
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Maybe Elvis had it right all along. There is nothing better than a PB&J, and it’s better yet when built on good bread. The bread here is made daily from flour that’s ground on-site. The Gorilla has banana slices, all-natural peanut butter and a sprinkling of their own granola. To make it Elvis-style, add a slice of bacon and jam. It’s all spread between two thick slices of their cinnamon chip bread, or choose any of their other varieties. The whole thing is finally toasted for a crispy, sweet and mellow experience. 4 Sunapee St., Nashua greatharvestnashua.com
Vegan
The Local Moose Café
Keep it light with locally sourced, thinly sliced veggies with a red pepper hummus all sitting pretty on a house-made baguette. Go on a Saturday or Sunday and indulge in a frosted, freshly made raised donut. 124 Queen City Ave., Manchester thelocalmoosecafe.com
Vegetarian
GLUTEN-FREE FIVE STARS Highly rated by the Find Me Gluten Free app Looking for a good gluten-free sandwich? Give these locations a try.
The Bridge Café, Manchester Baked Downtown Café & Bakery, Manchester British Beer Company, Manchester Purple Finch Café, Bedford The Flying Butcher, Amherst Burtons Grill, Nashua BeanTowne Coffee House, Hampstead Tucker’s, Hooksett, Dover, Concord, New London and coming soon to Merrimack and Manchester 110 Grill, Manchester, Epping, Nashua and Rochester Tavern 27, Laconia Purple Tomato, Lincoln 302 Grill, Twin Mountain Fabyan’s Station, Bretton Woods Chef’s Bistro, North Conway Cold Mountain Café, Bethlehem Elm City Bagels & Deli, Keene
Sandwich Memories By Susan Laughlin
Pressed Café
This well-run café now has three locations (two in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts) that all offer fantastic service and a plethora of options for pressed ciabatta sandwiches. For vegetarians, consider the Sabich, which has grilled eggplant, hummus, hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices, Roma tomatoes, Amba sauce and a tahini and lemon drizzle. You won’t miss the meat. There are also four paninis for vegans too. 108 Spit Brook Rd., Nashua 3 Cotton Rd., Nashua pressedcafe.com
What’s your first great sandwich memory? Mine was sugar and cinnamon on buttered toast that my father shared with me when he came home from a second-shift job and I woke up in the late night. Then there was the open face peanut butter, banana and orange marmalade sandwiches, which I crave to this day, made by a relative at a lake house. As a Milwaukee native, a regular on any bar menu was a raw ground-round beef with a slice of raw Bermuda onion on rye bread. You just don’t see that much anymore, but liverwurst almost works just as good. Then there were the grilled ham on rye bread at the local college hangout. Since the turn of the century, one favorite, which I still think about, is the pork loin, hard-boiled egg and mayonnaise on a French bâtard from the long defunct French Bistro in Milford. Oh, then the tiny baguette sandwiches the French eat for breakfast, sampled from distant travels. Even the petite charcuterie sandwiches at the Barcelona airport were great. Desperately seeking sandwiches over the past few months I found fresh new memories. Let’s keep the conversation going online. What is your favorite New Hampshire sandwich (as we defined it in this story)? Where do you go to satisfy a specific sandwich craving or find one that brings back fond old memories? (Extra credit: What’s the best sandwich in Sandwich, New Hampshire?} nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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Members of the Cornish Colony, including some of the most heralded artists, writers and musicians of the time, dress up to perform “A Masque of ‘Ours’” in honor of Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1905.
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The specters of art, music, theatre and dance have always personified the divinity hidden in the world around us. Certain places, like our Cornish region, have long been most richly inhabited by such spirits By Anders Morley nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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brating a flourishing communion of the arts that had followed him here. This marriage of artists and place was known as the Cornish Colony, and among the “colonists” gathered that evening were some of the most talented creative minds in the country, including Maxfield Parrish, Kenyon Cox and the popular novelist Winston Churchill. A large cast of amateur actors was in costume, and a small orchestra of professionals, under the baton of Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor and composer Arthur Whiting, hid in the woods. Everything was set for the unfolding of a masque, an ephemeral stage play that would go down in the annals of American art. Masques were a popular Renaissance entertainment that underwent a revival around this time, when a late-Romantic taste for quasi-medieval simplicity had yet to fade from fashion in America. The art form had its origins in Italy and, before that, was loosely inspired by the theatre of classical Greece, where music, art and poetry came together into something like what 19th-century Europeans called “a total work of art.” Music historians link Renaissance masques to the origins of opera at the end of the 16th century. Masques in the Renaissance (several ex-
amples occur parenthetically in the plays of Shakespeare) were often given by surprise to celebrate some important personage, and in their heyday they were among the highest art forms, calling upon the talents of the best poets, artist and musicians society had to offer. If ever there was a place in the New World where sufficient talent and the right kind of sensibility to casually put on a masque could be found, Cornish in 1905 was the place. “A Masque of ‘Ours’: The Gods and the Golden Bowl” was a short affair, but complete with curtained stage, incidental music, a few special effects, an altar and performers in Greek garb. The plot was simple, and sickeningly sycophantic by today’s standards. Jupiter, king of the gods, gathers all the gods together to announce his retirement and desire for a worthy successor. Unable to choose one himself, he calls upon Minerva to decide for him. To do so, Minerva consults a prophetic golden bowl on the altar. Looking into the steaming bowl, she finds her answer The big tent and the packed parking lot are visible in this aerial shot taken during Opera North's first performance at Blow-Me-Down Farm last July. That's the Connecticut River and Mt. Ascutney in the distance.
photo by lars blackmore
n the summer of 1905, Augustus Saint-Gaudens was slowly dying of intestinal cancer. For the past 20 years, the premier sculptor in the United States had spent part of almost every year in Cornish, New Hampshire, and he had recently decided to settle there year-round and close his other studios. His estate centered on a then-100-year-old converted country inn. Aspet, he had dubbed it, after his father’s hometown in France. Thanks to Saint-Gaudens, Cornish had become a magnet for some of the most celebrated artists of turn-of-the-century America. Saint-Gaudens’ home stood over a great lawn that swept downhill to the west, affording an unobstructed view across the Connecticut River to Vermont’s Mount Ascutney. On a June afternoon, not long before sunset, a large group of the famous sculptor’s neighbors gathered at the bottom of the green, where they hoped to boost the sunken spirits of their friend, who, in addition to being ill, had lost the larger of his two Cornish studios to fire the preceding fall. But the occasion was about more than just Saint-Gaudens. In a sense, they were cele-
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service, saint-gaudens national historic site, cornish, nh
photos courtesy u.s. department of the interior, national park
and, accordingly, carries the bowl into the audience, placing it in the hands of a touched Saint-Gaudens — the new lord of the pantheon. The action was planned so that the sun would spill its last rays over the shoulder of Ascutney at the moment of the masque’s climax, filling the valley of the Connecticut with its golden light. Behind the scene of the Saint-Gaudens masque, down the hill and through the trees, was a stream that flowed swiftly toward the Connecticut. By one account, its burbling could be heard among the notes of the orchestra that evening. The stream quickly joins a larger one with a curious name, Blow-Me-Down Brook, first noted by a party of surveyors under the leadership of Col. Joseph Blanchard in the 1750s. No one has ever been able to explain satisfactorily how it got its name. A few hundred yards farther west, where the brook exits the woods to laze through the flood plain of the big river, there was a luxuriant farm whose name was borrowed from the water that coursed through it. It was at Blow-Me-Down Farm that a New York lawyer and art lover named Charles Beaman made his summer residence. Beaman, whose wife’s family were large landholders from the Vermont side of the river, bought up hundreds of acres of disused farmland in Cornish and Plainfield and encouraged New York artist friends, beginning with Saint-Gaudens in 1885, to come and drink at the fountain. A year later, painter Thomas Wilmer Dewing and his wife Maria Oakey Dewing, a writer and painter, moved to the neighborhood, and in the decade that followed there were enough of the city artists around for locals to start talking about Little New York. But Blow-Me-Down Farm was the hub, with spokes radiating into the hills of Windsor, Cornish and Plainfield. The Colony’s fervid period ended at about the time of the World War I, although its first iteration can be said to have persisted in some form until the death of Maxfield Parrish in 1966. In 2010, ownership of Blow-Me-Down Farm, after years of changing hands, was transferred to the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, which has long been the only Colony property open for regular visitation by the public (and will probably soon be redesignated a National Historic Park, if a pair of uncontroversial bills now in Congress are enacted). The Beaman farm represents an added puzzle piece that will help the Park Service to better tell the story of how the Cornish Colony came to be. It was in consideration of this history that the Park Service subsequently set its sights
Minerva consults a prophetic golden bowl on the altar. Looking into the steaming bowl, she finds her answer, and, accordingly, carries the bowl into the audience. on the goal of making Blow-Me-Down into a “National Park for the Arts” and opened its ears for suggestions as to what such a park might look like. Lebanon-based Opera North recognized an opportunity, put together a proposal, and in 2016 received a tentative goahead to use Blow-Me-Down Farm as a venue for opera, musical theatre and other performances. As of 2018, the opera company has secured a 30-year lease on what remains of the Beaman buildings, as well as seed money from the Northern Border Regional Commission to launch an initial phase of building restorations. Saint-Gaudens will be the first arts park in the region. Last summer I had an opportunity to attend Opera North’s production of Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffmann” in Lebanon. As someone whose livelihood depends on keeping abreast of what’s happening in New Hampshire, I had of course heard of Opera North, but I had never paid it much attention. This was probably because for many years I had lived outside Milan with my Italian wife who is a bona fide opera appassionata. I’ve surely been to more operas at La Scala than almost anyone else in my humble tax bracket. In short, although I was far from a connoisseur myself, I had managed to become a snob, assuming that the only music New Hampshire could do
really well was raucous contra-dance stuff. “Have you ever been to an Opera North Production?” a woman turned to me and asked, when I had sat down. “No, I haven’t,” I said. “I saw ‘The Barber of Seville’ yesterday,”
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (above) was ill when his fellow colonists presented him with a golden bowl (below) as a symbol of his lordship over the creative community he helped to found in Cornish.
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park service, saint-gaudens national historic site, cornish, nh
Array at Left: Some cast members in costume for “A Masque of ‘Ours’: The Gods and the Golden Bowl” that was performed for Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1905. Top from left: Frances Grimes as Iris, Juliet Rublee as Terpsichore Bottom from left: Michael Stillman as Mars, Percy MacKaye as Mercury with Robin MacKaye in costume Right: “Augusta” by Thomas Dewing is a portrait of Saint-Gaudens’ wife. Below: The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, where you can explore the home, studios and gardens of Saint-Gaudens
It was because of this history that the Park Service set its sights on making Blow-Me-Down into a “National Park for the Arts.” cords). A few of the more energetic arias, such as “Allons! Courage et confiance,” were too big for the confines of the Opera House. They seemed to want to push out the walls and drive up the ceiling — or, perhaps, to blow down the house altogether. “Blow-MeDown, Blow-Me-Down,” I thought to myself, putting new meaning to the words. I closed my eyes, imagined away the theater and floated off on the notes. Pageantry finds a natural home in the valley between Cornish and Windsor. Last summer, warm sunlight once again spilled over the shoulder of Ascutney onto a scene not so different from that of the Saint-Gaudens masque — perhaps only a little more inclusive than the Edwardian fête of 100 and more years ago. Opera North was in town, with a jumble of circus performers, and show tunes and opera arias filled a big top as acrobats
photo by john hession
photos courtesy u.s. department of the interior, national
she said. “Now I’m back. It was better than good. It was great.” The woman didn’t seem like a philistine, and her wording — the “better than good” qualifying the merely formulaic “great” — opened my mind to the possibility that I might be in for something more than I was expecting. As it turned out, every aspect of the production over which the company had any control was deftly executed. The sets and the choreography neither pretended to anything grander than they should have, nor trembled under the grandness of the music. The singers were technically and expressively solid, inspiring real delight as well, and the orchestra commanded its score (which could not be said of a classical music production I had recently attended elsewhere in the state, where the strings players scratched feebly at their instruments and the singers exhibited an equally unsteady hold over their vocal
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The key to Opera North’s success has probably been its positioning of itself as a pastoral enterprise. What musical theatre and opera at BlowMe-Down Farm offer this demographic is a double dose of satisfaction. For those to whom it might never have occurred to go and see an opera, just being in a magical outdoor setting with other people having a good time might wake a dormant interest. “I have always loved how the arts connect with each other and by connecting with each other how the arts support each other,” Haile says. He emphasizes that, just as the Cornish Colony was about more than Augustus SaintGaudens, the collaboration between the Park Service and Opera North is about more than Opera North. The company’s scene shop, Opera North Scenic, where sets have been created for the past three years, is one example of how the arts can strengthen each other and carve out a visible space in the surrounding community. The company decided to open the shop in an old mill building in Windsor, Vermont, Haile explains, “because we believe that the arts are an important part of the economic vibrancy of the area.” The original plan was to build sets for just Opera North productions, but it soon became apparent there was a market for other proj-
ects. Their sets now end up in a range of local performances and even in productions as far away as Maine and New York City. What Blow-Me-Down Farm gives Opera North is room to develop, in scale and quality, and room to explore. This coming summer, two separate programs are planned for the Blow-Me-Down stage. Back by popular demand will be another collaboration with the circus, this time a presentation of great American music called “Hoedown at BlowMe-Down,” featuring works of Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Copland. Then comes a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance,” a good starting place for anyone new to the opera. In August, back at the Opera House in Lebanon, which Haile assures me is still very much part of the company’s smörgåsbord, more devoted opera lovers will find Verdi’s “Macbeth.” Finally, the program will expand into the fall, as it did this past year, with what Haile calls a “socialArtist Maxfield Parrish (below) was a wellknown member of the Cornish Colony who lived and worked in the area for much of his illustrious career, creating his vivid paintings and poster art such as “The Dinky Bird” (right).
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twirled through the air and bounded across the stage. [New Hampshire Magazine, September 2018 or visit nhmagazine.com/arts for a story on Opera North’s Blow-Me-Down Farm performances.] This peculiar fusion may be the secret to breathing new life into an old tradition of artistic collaboration in Cornish. Four sold-out shows of rapt and delighted faces were a promising start. Opera North itself may have seemed a stretch when it began in the 1980s under the guidance of unflagging Artistic Director Louis Burkot, professor of music at Dartmouth College (whose original mandate was to bring culture into the wilderness). The idea of bringing an expensive, logistically complex, metropolitan art form to rural New Hampshire and expecting to find a public 35 years ago was bold. But, judging by its popularity with locals and summer visitors, it has worked. The key to the company’s success has probably been its positioning of itself as a pastoral enterprise: Like most opera festivals, Opera North is essentially a summer project; it’s not meant to be compared with the weighty fall-to-spring seasons put on by big-city operas or symphonies. The company’s mission of breeding young talent fits with this model. “We have a resident artist program, where we have a core company of people who audition all around the country,” General Director Evans Haile told me on a visit to Cornish last November. “We will have six or seven hundred people audition for 15 slots. Then we also have our stars who come in for the major roles. Our creative teams are made up of major Broadway designers and major Broadway directors who come and work with us.” The orchestra draws on talent from throughout New England. One thing Opera North has lacked is a sense of belonging to a specific place. During the past two summers, it has put on a number of highly successful trial shows, of roughly 400 spectators each, at Blow-Me-Down. Exactly what shape the long-term future will take is not clear. What is clear is that this idyllic spot is wonderfully suited to the company’s encompassing vision of the performing arts. The vision, Haile wants to be clear, is not to exclude other venues. “In many ways this becomes our sandbox,” Haile says. He explains that last summer’s collaboration among circus artists, singers and orchestra in a mash-up of performance and music drew in a lot of people who were probably daunted by opera or would have expected to find it boring. He also observes that the Upper Valley has a population of cultured people who love being outdoors.
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photo by lars blackmore
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ly-relevant” production, “Glory Denied,” an opera of the Vietnam War. A hundred and thirty-five years ago, Charles Beaman provided the fuel for an artistic explosion, and in Saint-Gaudens he found a spark. The beauty that Beaman and Saint-Gaudens saw is still here, as is the core of Beaman’s infrastructure. Could Opera North be the new torchbearer, bringing its own hybrid brand of creativity to this reach of the Upper Valley and encouraging a concentric wave of artistic activity? When I talked to Evans Haile at the Lebanon Opera House last summer, he ventured that Blow-Me-Down Farm might someday rival Tanglewood or the Santa Fe Opera. “They also began with tents,” he said. Had I never been to Cornish, I would have scoffed. Festival enthusiasts think of these venues as preternaturally felicitous places, possessing some inimitable quality that enables nature and art to converge in ways they simply cannot elsewhere. But a visit to Blow-Me-Down on a sunny day is enough to lay to rest any doubt about the place’s physical requisites. Ascutney still looms over a languorous bend in the river, which slides under the singularly picturesque Cornish-Windsor covered bridge a few hundred yards downstream. Meadow and field sprawl across the intervale until they reach a grassy slope that rises to a lawn, elevated enough to give a commanding view of the valley’s sweep. Across the lawn are scattered the buildings of the farm. As for the Muse, well, she’s haunted Cornish since long before Tanglewood was a thought, or New Mexico a state. So why not? NH
photo by john hession
Left: Experience the artistic resurgence for yourself with this summer’s Hoedown at Blow-Me-Down Farm (Singers & Swingers 2.0) from July 12 through 14. Pictured here are photos from last year’s inaugural event, and tickets for the 2019 show are now on sale at operanorth.org. Right: You can also visit the SaintGaudens National Historic Site, which is open from Memorial Day to October 31. Over 100 of Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ sculptures are exhibited in the galleries and on the grounds of the park, such as this copy of “Diana” that can be found in the Little Studio. Saint-Gaudens often hosted concerts for his family and friends, and the tradition continues with the Sunday Summer Concert Series. Visit nps.gov/saga for more information about the park and the concert schedule. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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Alex Ray built his sprawling Common Man empire his way – full speed and nonstop. As you might imagine, it wasn’t easy, so maybe it’s fitting that, for this story, we begin on his “worst day.” By Jack Kenny Photo by Jared Charney 56
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Is it happiness? Is it pride?” He gets up and begins plucking at some plants in front of the barn. “You don’t live to work, you work to live. But if you work to live so much ... I don’t want more time in my life, I want more life in my time.” The time in Ray’s life began on an April day in 1944, when he was born the second of four children to Lew and Elizabeth Ray in Mountain Lake, New Jersey. His highly driven, seemingly tireless work ethic (“His motor never stops,” says Sheila Heald, kitchen manager at the original Common Man restaurant in Ashland) took root early in life. As a young boy he had not one paper route, but several, delivering morning and evening papers both before and after school. His devotion to profitable labor is something he grew up with. “My father was a hard worker. He started his own vending machine business. That was
Alex Ray as a student at the Culinary Institute of America in New Haven, Connecticut, when he was around 19 or 20 years old.
his lifelong work. I would go to bed at night, listening to the sound of him counting coins.” His mother worked as a buyer in the clothing industry. The energy that young Ray expended on his paper routes didn’t prevent him from being a restless cut-up at school, clowning in the hallways, making jokes in class and making frequent, unwelcomed visits to the principal’s office. “I was always in the principal’s office,” he says. “I was rebellious, a clown.” He believes he had attention deficit disorder before that affliction was discovered. The pattern continued in Kennett High School in Conway after the Ray family moved to New Hampshire. He worked after school at a local restaurant, and held down two jobs in the summer, one at a local bakery and the other at the restaurant at the Mount Cranmore ski resort. He thrived on the work, but was, at best, an indifferent student. “I never succeeded at school,” he says. “I was always out in the hallway or the cloak
room, clowning around.” He was even “thrown out of school a couple of days for skipping school.” His parents sent him to a psychologist, he recalls, “but I would just jerk him around.” One of his high school teachers was Lou D’Allesandro, now an 11-term state senator from Manchester, but back then he was a new history and civics teacher at Kennett. “Well, he probably wasn’t an ‘A’ student,” D’Allesandro recalls in what might be considered an understatement, considering Ray’s own description of his high school years. “I don’t think he really liked school, and if you don’t like school, you don’t pay a lot of attention.” D’Allesandro even uses the word “cantankerous” to describe the attitude sometimes displayed by the young Ray, though he does not recall any specific incident from more than 50 years ago. Ray also had some brushes with the law when he began driving. Once he got his learner’s permit at age 15, he used money he’d saved from his various jobs to buy a ’54 Chevy. He tinkered with it and later, when he began to drive, “I would get in trouble with the police” for things like “a loud muffler, no hood on the car, driving without inspection.” He spent the summer between his junior and senior years at the Poland Spring hotel and resort in Gray, Maine, living in the hotel’s attic and working as a cook from 5:30 in the morning until 9 at night. It was hard work and low pay, he recalls, but the experience didn’t make him a careful steward of his hard-earned money. “The other guys let me play poker with them. I lost all my money. I went home broke.” After high school, he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, then located in New Haven, Connecticut. His first full-time, year-round job was with a food service company called Canteen Corporation. He had charge of the cafeteria at Sanders Associates’ (now BAE) Manchester location and later at the Nashua plants on Canal Street and on Spit Brook Road. He knew early on that this was not where he would build a career. “The corporate world did not agree with me,” he recalls. “I circumvented their rules, just like in school.” When he was told that he wasn’t “corporate material,” Ray agreed and quit the job. Over the next few years, he moved about New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, running a pizza barn, and later a motel, and working for a time as a mason tender. With a loan from a local bank, he was able to buy a brick house on Main Street in Ashland. Living with his family on the second floor, he
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he patriarch of the Common Man Family of Restaurants arrives tired, disheveled and covered with soot, a half-hour late for a scheduled interview at his Italian Farmhouse restaurant in Plymouth, one of his nearly two-dozen restaurants that dot the New Hampshire landscape from Plymouth to Windham to Claremont. Alex Ray apologizes for being late and seems to have a hard time believing it’s OK. “Thank you for saying that,” he says. It is the kind of day that makes it hard for a weary man to accept a lot of things — like his decision to buy a boat. “I had a boat 30 years ago and never used it,” he says. “I only bought it because a friend wanted to sell it.” But he recently acquired another motorboat and a couple of hours ago he took it out on the water. But not for long. It had sprung a leak and was taking on water. He had to get it back to shore before it — and he — sank. And that wasn’t his only problem. “Right under my rear end, the cover of the motor was on fire.” But at least he had found his cell phone — in the middle of the road, where it had been run over by a passing car. It must have fallen out of the boat, he explains, as it was being towed back to its dock. It is useless now, but he has it with him anyway, clutching it, perhaps, as a souvenir of the Day Everything Went Wrong. “See?” he says, holding out the phone to show its shattered face. “I couldn’t call. I can’t call anyone. Someone called me and I can’t call him back. I don’t even know who it was.” As he’s talking, the phone starts its musical ring. “I can’t even turn that off. ... Well, yeah, I guess I can stop it,” he says as he finds a way to silence the distraction. It has not been, one suspects, a typical day in the life of Alex Ray. “A little too typical,” he replies. “No,” he adds on second thought. “This is the worst day.” But it’s more than the day’s misadventure on the lake and a disabled cell phone that is troubling him. Seated on a granite bench in front of the large barn he had built behind the restaurant, Ray, at 74, begins ruminating over the nearly half a century he has spent building and expanding his impressive network of restaurants. In that, to be sure, he has been enormously successful. “Doesn’t matter,” he says. And that success has made him, one might reasonably guess, quite wealthy. “Doesn’t matter,” he repeats. slowly shaking his head. “What is success? Is it money?
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turned the ground floor into a restaurant, christening it the Common Man. “We thought of a name that would play to the local people, from the banker to the carpenter, and I wanted it to be as basic as it could be, no frills,” he said in a 2007 interview with New Hampshire Business Review. The small restaurant opened in 1971 with a dining room that could only seat 35. Customers, even in winter, would stand in line outside, waiting for a table. Three years later, Ray and his family were able to move to a new home in Holderness, and the Common Man was expanded, with the renovated upper floor converted to the “Step Above” lounge. “I’m a slow grower,” Ray says. “It wasn’t until 1986 that we opened in Lincoln. That was number two.” But once started, there was nothing slow about the making of that second restaurant. Having purchased the Pollard Family home in October of 1985, Ray had an old barn moved onto the site, renovated it and attached it to the house to create a new restaurant that opened 47 days after purchase of the property. From that point on, it was full speed ahead in the expansion of the Common Man brand. Ray acquired the Howard Johnson’s in Concord in 1987 and converted it into the Capital City diner before replacing it with
Common Man Vice President Diane Dowling, members of the management team and Ray look over plans for the renovation of the building that would become the Common Man Merrimack. It’s the former homestead of Matthew Thornton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
the two-story, Colonial-style Common Man restaurant that stands at the north end of Concord’s busy downtown. The Tilt’n Diner, with its ’50s-style music and décor, was added in 1992. He opened the Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth the following year and
the Squam Seafood Company in 1994. A renovated barn became the Common Man in Windham in 1996. Several more restaurants were added over the next decade, including the former Hannah Jack Tavern in Merrimack, a restaurant and lounge
The Common Man on Main Street in Ashland was Ray’s first restaurant, opened in 1971. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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located in the converted home of Matthew Thornton, one of New Hampshire’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. Bobby’s Girl diner on Route 104 in New Hampton became Ray’s 104 Diner in 2009, the same year the enterprise expanded to New Hampshire’s Seacoast with the opening of a Common Man restaurant in Portsmouth, which has since closed. That’s only a partial list of the enterprises launched by the “slow grower” from Holderness. It does not include the restaurants he has opened within and around the numerous Meredith properties of developer Rusty McLear, founder of the popular Lakes Region resort, The Inn at Mill Falls. Nor does it include the joint venture by McLear and Ray to turn abandoned mill buildings into a hotel and restaurant complex in Claremont, or their multimillion-dollar development of the Common Man restaurants and the general stores, filling stations and larger state liquor stores at the new welcome centers on I-93 in Hooksett. And a good many travelers enroute to and from the airport in Manchester/Londonderry have frequented Ray’s Airport Diner on the site of the Holiday Inn on Brown Avenue. In all, Ray reigns over an enterprise that numbers about 1,000 employees. “It’s a challenge at times,” says Ida Gould,
“I think he’s driven. It’s definitely not money. He enjoys what he’s doing. He loves the restaurants, he loves the people, he loves giving back to the community. I think that’s what drives him.” — Ida Gould the office secretary, whose job it is to “keep the schedule, answer the phone, do whatever else needs to be done,” from her desk on the second floor of the former Ashland Post Office building that Ray and Common
Man Vice President Diane Downing converted into The Common Man Company Store, right across the street from the restaurant where it all began. “He does manage 22 properties so there could be a lot happening at one time,” notes Gould. And while Ray leans on his staff to keep things running smoothly, he keeps his own eyes closely on the operations of all his properties. “He gets a weekly report on all the restaurants — the sales, food costs, labor costs,” Gould says. “If he sees a pattern of something going wrong, he’ll look at that restaurant to see what’s happening.” He’s also a hands-on manager in a more literal sense. “Oh, yeah, he’ll pick up the garbage,” Gould says, speaking of but one of the manual tasks into which Ray might plunge at any time. “He’s definitely getting his hands dirty.” And he has a variety of moods to go along with his wide variety of tasks. “He can be silly or very serious, depending on what he’s doing at the time,” says Gould. “He’s definitely high-energy. ... “I don’t know how he does it, really I don’t. I can’t keep up with him.” The phenomenal growth of the enterprise has not been without its occasional setbacks, including the fire that destroyed the Common Man in Lincoln in 2001. What must
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Commuters and vacationers now take our lovely Hooksett welcome centers for granted, but most locals recall what eyesores they once were.
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keith photography, interior photo by ends of the earth innovations
& exterior photo by kate
have seemed like a major calamity at the time now looks like a mere hiccup in Common Man history. The employees at Lincoln were promptly reassigned to Ray’s other establishments, and the Lincoln restaurant was rebuilt in a mere 60 days. Ray, who spends a lot of time on New Hampshire’s highways, traveling among his many establishments, takes pride in the fact that his restaurant and diners are all different in design and architecture. “I didn’t make them all the same, like Dunkin’ Donuts, Howard Johnson’s or Applebee’s, even though it would make it easier to run.” He is especially fond of diners for the fact that people arrive without unreasonable demands. “You don’t hear, ‘What do you mean I have to wait 15 minutes? I have a reservation!’” Along with his many business ventures, Ray has found time to plunge into a wide range of community activities, including theatrical productions at Plymouth State University. “He’s an amazing man,” says Trish Lindberg, professor of education and integrated arts at PSU. Ray has both appeared in numerous plays and done a number of innovative things behind the scenes for Lindberg’s touring children’s theater, formally known as Theater Integrating Guidance, Education and Responsibility, or TIGER. Ray took a van and, with the help of graphic artist Sally Grand, had it decorated it with a large image of a tiger. He even managed to give the vehicle a lynx-like voice. “It has a horn that instead of tooting, growls like a tiger,” Lindberg says. For a production of “Beauty and The Beast,” he created a special effect for the character Mrs. Potts, costumed to resemble a teakettle. Ray found a way to make steam rise from her teakettle “head.” Lindberg still doesn’t know how he did it. “He’s literally a creative genius” is her only explanation. She is impressed with Ray’s energy onstage as well. “His movement is amazing,” she says, “He can take on a character really well.” Ray seems less impressed with his onstage persona. “I played a beggar in ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’” he recalls. “I could have hammed it up, but I didn’t. I kind of regret it.” But it was his role as the Flying Monkey in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” that gave the name to yet another theater project. In 2009, Ray purchased a falling-apart old theater on Main Street in Plymouth, where vaudeville shows had been performed in the 1920s. The renovated building was reopened the following year as the Flying Monkey Movie House
and Performing Center, a venue that hosts appearances by national recording artists, along with comedy acts, movies and live theatrical performances. “It’s as good as the Palace in Manchester,” Ray contends. Another of his projects, less entertaining but more life-sustaining, can be found at what is now known as the Ray House at the site of the Daniel Webster homestead in Franklin. Ray purchased the former orphanage and renovated it for use
as an alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation center. “I ended up buying it for next to nothing,” he says. “I put a million into it and sold it for what I’d put into it.” The buyer was Easterseals NH, which merged the facility with its Farnum Center recovery site in Manchester to create Farnum North. A 2015 campaign to raise money for expansion of the facility was sparked by Ray’s pledge to match all contributions, up to a total of $100,000. With the matching funds,
The Barn on the Pemi is Ray’s latest project. He saved a barn in Canterbury and rebuilt it in Plymouth to serve as a wedding and events venue for up to 300 guests. Repurposed materials include flooring and metal roof panels from the Rockingham Park racetrack in Salem. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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the campaign raised more than $280,000 in just 30 days. Ray freely acknowledges his interest in the recovery efforts is inspired by his own journey as a recovering alcoholic. “Just drank too much beer, I guess,” is his simple explanation of what got him hooked. “It probably came from working too hard. I needed to unwind.” Several years of sobriety have given him “such a freedom. I feel very good about it.” At the same time, “I miss the camaraderie. I don’t have the same social life. I miss that.” One might wonder how, between attending to expansive business operations and throwing himself into a variety of community projects, Ray could find the time for more of a social life. It’s not out of the ordinary to find him presiding over and providing food for two fundraisers in one day, as he did last year, running a “Fun Fair” to benefit the Bridge House, a 26-bed homeless shelter in Plymouth, as well as hosting the annual fundraising event for the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness. Contributing to the community is no one-man effort for Ray, who encourages all of his employees to take paid time off from their duties at the restaurants each year to do volunteer work for the nonprofits of their choice. Despite the time, effort and money he spends on civic and charitable causes, the Common Man founder recoils at being called a philanthropist.
“I hate that word,” he insists. “I would say I’m a good businessman and an unabashed lover of New Hampshire. I respect New Hampshire ways.” His charitable efforts have often taken him far from the Granite State, however, including trips to Ground Zero after 9/11
Speaking onstage when The Flying Monkey opened, Ray prepares to shoot a toy flying monkey into the crowd.
and New Orleans after Katrina. He has also gone on relief missions to Haiti and Honduras after earthquakes hit those island nations, and to Puerto Rico following the 2017 hurricane disaster. “I had a van full of nonperishable food, a propane tank and a portable grill,” Ray says, describing a 2005 trip to New Orleans with Plymouth nurse and future Bridge House director Cathy Bentwood after Katrina’s
The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center in Plymouth, once a vaudeville theater, has brought entertainment back to Main Street, including dinner and a show options, serving Common Man-made food at select tables.
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winds and floods had devastated that coastal city. “I went to churches, cooking food for people all over New Orleans.” Arriving some nine days after the storm hit, Ray extended his rescue efforts to some of the city’s four-footed residents, stranded in homes that had been evacuated. Climbing in through windows, he retrieved and fed a number of dogs that had been left behind. In Haiti, he cooked for earthquake survivors and helped develop nutrition programs. In Puerto Rico, Ray and his crew cooked 700 meals a day for survivors of one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit that island. D’Allesandro is well aware of the reputation his former student has earned for both his business acumen and his efforts in disaster relief. “I just met with a senator from Puerto Rico who told me how very appreciative they were of the work Alex did,” he says. “He’s a great example of civic responsibility and public service. He’s turned a lot of things around in his life and a lot of people have benefited from it.” Ray, it seems, has put the same pedal-tothe-metal effort into his charitable and relief efforts as he has in building his impressive network of restaurants and diners. “You have to work hard to get it going,” he says of his various enterprises. “Take your foot off the pedal and it all comes to a stop.” But what has motivated him to work so hard for so long to keep it all going, acquiring and retrofitting buildings, adding
one restaurant and diner after another to the Common Man enterprise? “I think he’s driven,” says Gould, his office secretary. “It’s definitely not money. He enjoys what he’s doing. He loves the restaurants, he loves the people, he loves giving back to the community. I think that’s what drives him.” “I don’t talk about bottom line, about profit,” Ray says. “You do a good job, treat people right, the bottom line will take care of itself.” Provided the owner keeps a sharp eye on those weekly reports of “sales, food costs, labor costs” that Gould described. “Sustainability” is a word Ray uses often. Running a business is not like playing poker at Poland Spring. “We can’t get to the point where we can’t pay our bills,” he says Despite all his achievements in business and charitable giving, Ray keeps thinking of other things he might have done. “I wish I went into the hotel business,” he muses. “It’s more lucrative and easier than restaurants.” He has dreamed of creating a kind of educational Disney World, called “Newton’s Apple,” where kids would learn science in a fun atmosphere. “I could have done a lot at Webster Place instead of what I did,” he says, suggesting the site of the former Daniel Webster College might be an ideal location. “I should have bought that and
made it a super recovery center.” Yet he regrets the enormous toll his many ventures have taken on his personal life. “I haven’t had a balance of life, I’ve only known work,” he says. He recalls never having had any hobbies, never indulging in any recreational activities, like fishing or golf. “I haven’t been good to my family, haven’t been
In October 2017, Ray went to Puerto Rico to volunteer and cook for residents after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
good to my friends,” he says. “My one regret is my children. I wasn’t there for them. I wasn’t bad to them, I just wasn’t there. “ Neither of his two daughters ever wanted to work in a restaurant, he says, and both have long since moved on to careers of their own. Ray has been looking into the possibility of passing the entire business on
to his employees without having it broken up into several parts. “I want it to be kind of a phased exit,” he says. “This is my 48th year of Common Man. I don’t have the desire or skill set to do this any longer. I think it’s time to step aside.” Sitting at a table in the Step Above lounge, he looks around at his first Common Man and sees yet more opportunity for improvement. “I need to refurbish everywhere, but it’s not in my blood anymore,” he says. “I can’t throw myself into restaurants anymore.” But what would the hyperactive Ray do in retirement? “I don’t know,” he says frankly. “That’s probably what’s slowing me down.” It’s hard to think of Ray apart from the Common Man. And it’s hard to imagine him staying away from his restaurants for very long. “My most fun is meeting people, to go in and joke with people,” he says. A party at a nearby table breaks out into loud gales of laughter, bringing a smile to the face of the uncommon man who opened the door to food and drink and laughter at the first Common Man nearly half a century ago. “They’re going crazy over there,” he says appreciatively. “It’s very nice to hear laughter and happiness.” NH
A Common Man Family Timeline 1996 - The Common Man Company Store opens in Ashland and NH Common Man Windham opens. 1998 - Camp opens at Chase House in Meredith. 1999 - Capital City Diner is converted to Common Man Concord. - Town Docks opens in Meredith. 2000 - Common Man Lincoln burns down and is rebuilt in 60 days. 1971 -Common Man Ashland opens in November.
1974 - Common Man Ashland is expanded to seat 50 guests. 1977 - Step Above Lounge at Common Man Ashland opens.
2002 - Common Man Inn & Spa and Foster’s Boiler Room open in Plymouth.
2008 -Webster Place Recovery Center opens in Franklin and Common Man Express (now closed) opens in Ashland. 2009 - Common Man Inn & Restaurant Claremont and Common Man Portsmouth (now closed) open. -104 Diner opens in New Hampton. -The Flying Monkey Movie House opens in Plymouth. 2011 -The Common Man Family celebrates 40 years.
2004 - Lakehouse opens at Church Landing in Meredith and Lago replaces the Boathouse Grille in Meredith.
1985 - Common Man Lincoln opens. 1987 - Howard Johnson in Concord is converted to the Capital City Diner. 1992 - Tilt’n Diner opens in Tilton
2015 - Common Man Roadside at the Hooksett Welcome Centers opens.
1993 - Italian Farmhouse opens in Plymouth. 1995 - Boathouse Grille opens at the Inn at Bay Point in Meredith.
2005 - Common Man Merrimack opens. Airport Diner opens in Manchester.
2018 -The Barn on the Pemi event facility opens in Plymouth. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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“Science is the key to our future, and if you don’t believe in science, then you’re holding everybody back.” — Bill Nye
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Photos by Jason Grow
Health 64 Local Dish 73 How To 74 Events Listing 76 Dine Out 80 Ayuh 88
HEALTH
Bioscience Takes Root
Forging new health frontiers BY KAREN A. JAMROG
I
f you haven’t been aware that the bioscience industry is alive and thriving in New Hampshire, “you are not alone,” says Cindy Conde, independent consultant and co-chair of the BioMedTech Cluster, a trade association that is an initiative of the NH Tech Alliance. But New Hampshire is indeed home to a growing number of start-ups and established companies alike that together represent an array of concentrations within the bioscience field, from pharmaceuticals to medical devices and engineered tissues. In fact, according to Conde, more than 300 bioscience organizations exist throughout the state, with locations on the seacoast as well as in greater Manchester, southern cities and towns such as Salem and Nashua, and western locations such as Hanover. Many of the companies situate themselves near an academic or medical center, Conde says, “because [industry leaders] are not just doing research for research’s sake anymore; they’re trying to bring it to light and commercialize products.” One of the foremost examples of the state’s up-and-coming bioscience industry — and one that is generating particular interest because of the person at its helm — is Manchester-based ARMI, a member-driven nonprofit that specializes in regenerative medicine. Inventor and New Hampshire resident Dean Kamen (left) founded ARMI in Manchester’s historic Millyard. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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ARMI’s mission is to one day make mass production of human tissue and organs a reality.
Dean Kamen, founder of ARMI, famed Segway inventor, and New Hampshire resident, ultimately aims to make mass production of human tissue and organs a reality; the mission at ARMI, which stands for Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, is to help enable large-scale manufacturing of engineered tissues and tissue-related technologies. Through its BioFabUSA program, ARMI solicits and funds proposals that address current gaps in the field, and encourages collaboration among experts from industry, academia, and government to collectively remove barriers that impede commercialization of tissue engineering. It’s all about connecting people, ideas and technology to enable and accelerate the scalable, consistent manufacturing of engineered human tissues and organs, explains Thomas Bollenbach, PhD, chief technology officer at ARMI. Currently, ARMI staff spends much of its time reviewing proposals and providing outreach activities, but eventually, technicians and others at ARMI will coalesce 66
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technologies, processes and quality systems to create tissues at ARMI. “In the next year or so, we will start to build out the capability to generate tissues here [in Manchester],” Bollenbach says. “Actually manufacturing the tissues for implantation into patients, and commercialization — that’s on the horizon. But in the meantime we at least want to demonstrate the capability.” Already, ARMI member organizations are making skin, cartilage, bone, ligaments, blood vessels, tracheas and more, Bollenbach says. Organs “will require another fundamental leap in basic technology,” he says, and challenges associated with mass production remain. “[Experts] are making breakthroughs that we never could have imagined 10 years ago,” Bollenbach says, “like 3-D printing a lung.” The problem is figuring out how to fabricate enough of those — along with skin, tracheas and all the rest — to keep up with demand. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, more than 120,000 Americans need a lifesaving organ transplant, and another name
is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes. That’s a lot of needed organs, and there aren’t enough donated organs to go around. How best to preserve tissue also remains a question. For example, Bollenbach says, “How do we get it from the manufacturing line to the patient? It’s going to be a living tissue, so how do we even ship that?” Quality systems need to be devised that will support the manufacturing process, but also take into account the need for customization. Not just any heart, for example, will work in someone who needs a new one. Factors such as blood type, body height and weight, and medical considerations can influence whether an organ and a potential recipient are a good match. And so the folks at ARMI march on. “We’re really facilitators in large part, bringing [together] the right people,” Bollenbach says, and uncovering what technologies already exist. “How many thousands of universities are there across the country,” he muses, “and how many technologies are buried in the back corner that we might be able to use?” ARMI hopes to spread the message, Bollenbach says, that “this is a call to action” for researchers, educators, engineers and others who can contribute expertise to the regenerative medicine endeavor. “Help us to understand what’s out there already that we can use, and who might have the answer — who might have a means to build the thing that we need.” A colleague once likened the task of pulling the fragmented industry together to “trying to corral entropy,” Bollenbach says. “And that’s how I think about it.” Dean Kamen has said that New England, with the Merrimack Valley and Manchester at its center, could become the Silicon Valley of regenerative manufacturing. The opportunity that is gaining momentum in the state “is huge,” Conde agrees. “[ARMI] is a national project that just happens to be based here, and a lot of companies have moved here to New Hampshire to be a part of this.” “[New Hampshire is] doing some pretty neat things,” Conde says. “[We’re] not just a neighbor or stepchild to Massachusetts, but really [are] a provider of ... life-changing or lifesaving treatments.” NH
More info
Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, armiusa.org
photo by jason grow
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HEALTH
Sci-fi becomes reality
Mass production of human organs and tissues requires a “leap” in technology that has yet to be achieved, says Thomas Bollenbach, PhD, chief technology officer at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) in Manchester, but make no mistake, experts are already making biofabricated body parts, right here in NH, with more to come. More than 300 bioscience start-ups and established companies call the Granite State home, says Cindy Conde, independent consultant and co-chair of the BioMedTech Cluster, a trade association that is an initiative of the NH Tech Alliance. The companies reflect a diverse life-sciences industry that is advancing innovative ways to develop life-changing or lifesaving drugs, medical devices, diagnostics, health technologies and more — including human tissues and organs. Manufactured biological tissues can serve a number of purposes, from treating burn victims to providing heart valves for patients who need new ones, or researching and testing new drugs and other treatments. Fabricated tissues that are being made today include skin, cartilage, bone, ligaments, esophagus, blood vessels and trachea, says Bollenbach. Making tissues and organs that are thicker than these “sheets and tubes” presents additional challenges to scientists and manufac-
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turers, but their production is “on the horizon,” he explains. “Right in [Manchester’s] Millyard, we have people who are trying to solve those problems of how do you make a thicker tissue,” Bollenbach says. Advanced Solutions Life Sciences, for example, invented a BioAssemblyBot to 3-D print human tissue. The company ultimately hopes to be able to print organs, and can currently 3-D print blood vessels derived from human fat tissue and grow a vasculature system outside the body that works similarly to blood vessels in the human body, providing conduits for oxygen and nutrient delivery. Also in the Millyard, United Therapeutics Organ Manufacturing Group is working on 3-D printing human lungs. 3-D printing can help provide functional tissues and organs, and can be customized to suit individual patients’ needs. An organ meant for a child, for example, can be made differently than one intended for an adult recipient. The ability to 3-D print tissues also helps researchers study disease and predict drug interactions and other dangers. Despite all the progress, a significant hurdle remains: figuring out how to manufacture tissues and organs on a large-scale basis. “If you can believe it, Eugene Bell was making skin at MIT” in the 1970s, Bollenbach says. Bell, an MIT biologist, worked on developing a way to grow human skin to treat burns and other wounds. “So this stuff’s been around for a long time,” Bollenbach says. “Really the challenge has been ... how do you scale it and keep costs under control.” Bollenbach recalls a time earlier in his career, when he worked at a company in Massachusetts. “We were making up to 4,000 units of skin a week,” he says. “It was all done by hand. So that’s the challenge — how do you scale it and make [the process] more efficient.”
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New Hampshire Magazine’s Guide to Wills and Estate Planning
Ask the
EXPERTS Planning for what happens to your assets following your death may not be the most pleasant of tasks, but it’s important. We asked experts to identify some of the most important elements of wills and estate planning.
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Our panel: • Thanda Fields Brassard, Esq., Vice President & General Counsel, Fiduciary Trust Company of New England. fiduciary-trust.com • Elizabeth Brown, Esq., Senior Counsel, Primmer, Piper, Eggleston & Cramer. primmer.com • Whitney A. Gagnon, Associate, Trusts and Estates, McLane Middleton. mclane.com • Elizabeth M. Lorsbach, Esq., estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law, and tax law, Sulloway & Hollis. Sulloway.com • Seth Webber, Senior Valuation Analyst, BerryDunn. berrydunn.com
HOW, WHY, WHEN: GETTING STARTED When should I start estate planning, and how do I begin? Brown: “Every person over the age of 18 ought to have a simple estate plan that includes, at a minimum, a power of attorney and a health care power of attorney. A parent’s ability to make financial and healthcare decisions ends when their
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children turn 18. Without a power of attorney, if a child becomes disabled, parents do not have the authority to make health care decisions or manage money for their child and, in some cases, may need court approval to act on his or her behalf. If you are over the age of 18, now is the time to contact an experienced estate planning attorney to schedule an initial consultation. The primary goal of the initial consultation is to allow the attorney to learn about you and your family. In addition, it is an opportunity for you speak with a professional about your hopes, fears, dreams, and aspirations for your family. There is no need to bring every account statement and information regarding all of your assets to the initial consultation. General information regarding your assets and how they are titled is all that is necessary.” Gagnon: “It’s never too early to plan for and take control your future. Any person age 18 or older should engage in estate planning. The first step in the process is to meet with an estate planning attorney to discuss your personal circumstances. Based on your wishes and your family and financial information, the attorney will be able to provide you with options and guidance to achieve your goals. The essential components of a modern New Hampshire estate plan include health care advance directives, durable powers of attorney, pour-over wills, and revocable trusts. These documents are all revocable, meaning that you may change them in any way, or revoke them in their entirety, so long as you have the requisite capacity.”
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What documents should I have with me when meeting with an attorney to discuss my will/estate plan? Brassard: “You should have information about your assets, including values, where they are located and how the assets are titled (individually, joint, etc.). You should come to the meeting with a sense of where you want your property to go after you die, and who you want to serve as your fiduciaries if you become incapacitated or after your death. You should also bring your current documents if you have them, along with any documents relating to other trusts that you did not establish, but which exist for your benefit. Your attorney will want to review those documents to determine what happens to those assets after your death and whether you have any control over them.” Webber: “The following items are helpful when creating a tax-efficient business succession plan: Business succession goals (retain family owner-
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Guide to Wills and Estate Planning ship, generate liquidity, etc.); identification of other business owners; retirement budget and needs; other sources of cash and funding for retirement; charitable intentions; shareholder agreement and buy-sell agreement; will, advanced directive, and power of attorney.” What is the difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust? Lorsbach: “The key difference between a revocable and an irrevocable trust is that a revocable trust can be changed at any time by the person or persons who created the trust, while an irrevocable trust cannot be changed by the creators of the trust. Revocable trusts are used as a basic estate planning tool, to avoid probate upon the death of the person who created the trust, and to provide for long-term management of assets for named beneficiaries without court oversight. Irrevocable trusts have those same benefits, but are used sparingly because once the creator of an irrevocable trust funds the trust with his or her assets, he or she gives away control of those assets. There are, however, reasons for giving assets to an irrevocable trust, including reduction of taxes on the estate at death, protection of an asset such as a family camp for future generations, or a guarantee that funds will be available for a needy beneficiary, such as a child with a severe disability.”
WILLS AND ESTATE PLANNING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE What makes New Hampshire a great place for establishing and administering trusts? Brassard: “New Hampshire has some of the best trust and tax laws in the nation. In fact, over the past decade or so, New Hampshire has emerged as a leader in the race to be the best jurisdiction to establish and administer a trust. New Hampshire’s robust trust laws, which provide a thoughtful and reasonable approach to trust administration, have definitely received more attention from out of state attorneys in the last five years or so. New Hampshire’s trust laws allow for flexibility in administering trusts, by allowing the use of directed, divided and delegated trust concepts, among others. In addition, if a trust needs to be ‘fixed,’ New Hampshire has some of the best laws in the nation regarding decanting and trustee modification of trusts. Finally, New Hampshire is one of a few states that allows for establishment of asset protection trusts, and is the first state to allow for the establishment of civil law foundations. The trust court in New Hampshire is unique in that it
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allows any trust disputes before it to be heard by a judge with experience in these matters, which are unique from other disputes.” What is the intestate distribution in New Hampshire, and what are the benefits of avoiding it? Gagnon: “Intestacy laws dictate which family members will inherit your probate assets after your lifetime, and in what amount. In the absence of a validly executed will, your probate assets will be distributed in accordance with the intestacy laws, which may not be consistent with your objectives. For example, in New Hampshire, the laws of intestacy provide that if you are survived by your spouse and children, then your spouse will receive the first $250,000 plus one-half of any remaining assets and your children will receive the other one-half. This may cause an undesirable outcome particularly if your children are minors. “Married couples without children might be surprised to learn that in the absence of a validly executed will, all probate assets will not automatically pass to the surviving spouse upon the death of the first spouse to die. If you are survived by your spouse and your parents, then your parents will receive a portion of your probate assets. The intestacy laws become more complicated when addressing blended families. If you are survived by your spouse and he or she has children from a prior marriage, then your spouse will receive a reduced amount. Your spouse’s inheritance will be further reduced if you have children from a prior marriage. With an estate plan in place, you have the ability to control who will inherit your assets after your lifetime, and in what manner and amount.” What particular challenges do nontraditional families face in estate planning? Brassard: “Non-traditional families may not be afforded the same protections as traditional families, depending on the circumstances. For example, an unmarried couple is usually not treated as exactly the same as a married couple for tax and property law purposes. It is even more important for non-traditional families to seek legal advice when it come to their estate planning, as the ‘default’ rules often available for a traditional (married) couple may not apply. If care is not taken to draft estate planning documents that accurately reflect the non-traditional family’s wishes, the property may not pass as the donors intend.” Brown: “Today, many families include children,
stepchildren, non-married co-habiting adults, etc. I would argue estate planning is more important for blended and non-traditional families because existing intestacy laws do not adequately protect them. New Hampshire’s intestacy laws protect spouses and children, but do not recognize life-partners. Consequently, if one of the partners to the relationship dies without a will or a trust in place, the consequences can be catastrophic.”
AVOIDING PITFALLS What are the possible pitfalls of attempting estate planning myself using online tools? Lorsbach: “I have handled several estates for people whose wills were prepared online, and have also been asked to review and revise estate plans that clients prepared online. One common problem with online documents is that they do not comply with New Hampshire law, even when the online site claims otherwise. Another common issue I have seen is that wills prepared online are often improperly executed, causing the will to either be invalid or require a witness to attend a hearing to prove the will. The cost of such a hearing can be as much or more than the cost of having the will prepared by a professional. A third issue I have seen with online wills is that people sometimes unintentionally disinherit beneficiaries, in particular spouses, thinking that passage of assets to a spouse is automatic. Finally, legal terms are often used incorrectly by people drafting documents online, leading to all sorts of unintended consequences.” What can happen if I don’t occasionally review my estate plan? How often should I review my estate plan? Brassard: “Trust and tax laws change over time. Some of these changes are well-publicized (such as a major increase in the federal exemption), but some are not. It is important to think about your estate plan periodically to make sure that your intentions and wishes have not changed, but also to be sure that the laws have not changed to the detriment of your estate plan.” Gagnon: “You should review your estate plan every five years to confirm that it remains consistent with your current objectives and in accordance with the current laws. You should also review your estate plan after the occurrence of significant events including the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, marriage, divorce, or a change in your health or financial circumstances.”
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BUSINESS STRATEGIES How can wills and estate planning play a role in business succession planning? Webber: “Estate documents (wills and trusts) should be coordinated with and reinforce the intent of the owner’s existing business succession plans. The succession plans are a road map to direct future generations regarding leadership, planned liquidity events, future business direction, and other items. In the event of the owner’s untimely death before a succession is complete, the estate documents should be consistent with the succession plan so that it can be completed in accordance with the identified strategy. “Wills (i.e., legal documents expressing how property is to be divided upon death) often contain instructions that are key to business succession planning, such as who succeeds to ownership under specified conditions and who manages what functions of the business. This information should be communicated to key people in advance so that the owner’s wishes aren’t a surprise revealed after the fact. “Estates can also be used as a means of moving wealth from one generation to the next in an
orderly and tax-conscious manner. For example, a small handful of states, including New Hampshire, allows for dynasty trusts, which are used to hold ownership in a company indefinitely. Income from companies held in dynasty trusts is available to heirs, but not direct ownership of the underlying assets. Given the current federal estate tax limits, dynasty trusts may be a useful vehicle to transfer economic benefit to multiple future generations.” When/why should someone consider gifting as part of their overall estate planning? “When shares are transferred through an estate, the shares are adjusted to market value on the date of death, re-establishing their tax basis. Heirs benefit from the higher basis because it will limit future capital gains. As long as the total value of the estate is less than the 2019 federal estate tax exemption of $11.4 million, there would be no federal estate tax due. While potentially more taxefficient, the strategy of transferring shares through an estate delays the ownership for successive generations. “Similar to transferring shares through one’s estate, gifting shares only creates a taxable event if
the value of the gifts exceeds the lifetime exemption. In the case of shares that have the potential to grow significantly in value, gifting during lifetime can transfer the future appreciation to the next generation. Gifts of minority interests can also be discounted for lack of control and marketability, reducing potential tax exposure. Gifting during one’s lifetime also allows for the immediate transfer of shares to descendants, while remaining in a capacity to advise them in the management of the company. “In contrast to inheriting shares through an estate, grantees of gifted shares inherit the same tax basis as the grantor, which typically results in higher capital gains tax implications if the grantee subsequently chooses to liquidate the shares. Another important consideration for gifting is the fact that gifting of shares doesn’t generate liquidity to the grantor. Therefore if the grantor needs liquidity for retirement, gifting shares should be considered only when projected liquidity needs have been funded.” How should the lifetime estate tax exclusion affect my estate planning? Webber: “Historically, a key estate planning >>
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Guide to Wills and Estate Planning consideration was the lifetime federal estate tax exemption. However, the increase in the federal exemption from $675,000 in 2001 to $11.4 million in 2019 has reduced the number of estates that may be affected by federal estate taxes. For many people, the priority has shifted from estate tax minimization to maintaining an orderly transition of ownership, as well as income tax considerations. For example, if an owner has an estate value less than the exemption, holding the shares until his/ her death will give the heirs an increase in tax basis, reducing the income tax consequences on their sale. If one is still impacted by the estate tax limit, there are multiple tax planning opportunities to limit exposure. Of course, these strategies should still be matched to your succession planning goals.”
TALKING THE TALK What is the difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust? Lorsbach: “The key difference between a revocable and an irrevocable trust is that a revocable trust can be changed at any time by the person or persons who created the trust, while an irre-
vocable trust cannot be changed by the creators of the trust. Revocable trusts are used as a basic estate planning tool, to avoid probate upon the death of the person who created the trust, and to provide for long-term management of assets for named beneficiaries without court oversight. Irrevocable trusts have those same benefits, but are used sparingly because once the creator of an irrevocable trust funds the trust with his or her assets, he or she gives away control of those assets. There are, however, reasons for giving assets to an irrevocable trust, including reduction of taxes on the estate at death, protection of an asset such as a family camp for future generations, or a guarantee that funds will be available for a needy beneficiary, such as a child with a severe disability.” Gagnon: “Wills and revocable trusts allow you to appoint a trusted individual or entity to administer and distribute your assets after your lifetime. In general, a will allows you to nominate guardians of your minor children, nominate an executor to manage your estate, and direct the distribution of your assets, all subject to the court process referred to as probate. A revocable trust
ESTATE PLANNING Over 20 years of experience representing individual and business clients in a wide range of legal issues including estate planning, business succession planning, business formations, and corporate governance issues.
Elizabeth Brown Manchester, NH ebrown@primmer.com
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allows you to appoint a trustee to manage your assets consistent with your wishes without the need for the probate process. A pour-over will serves to make sure that any assets left outside of your revocable trust at the time of your death are transferred to your trust and administered pursuant to the provisions thereof. A revocable trust is often desired because it provides more flexibility and planning options, creditor protection, privacy, and tax benefits, without the need for court involvement.” What is an integrated approach to estate planning, and whom would you work with to achieve an integrated estate planning? Brown: “The most successful estate plans are created with cooperation from the clients and their trusted advisors, which includes their financial planners, to avoid expensive and time-consuming mistakes. A common mistake in estate planning is when the attorney drafts a plan that includes a revocable living trust, but the client fails to transfer the assets to the trust, and the plan fails to work as planned. If assets are not titled in the name of the trust, the revocable trust agreement has zero value to the client because the successor trustees cannot manage assets that are not retitled to the trust. If the estate planning attorney is working with the financial advisor, they can make sure that the terms of the estate plan are implemented and the assets are retitled to the trust estate.” What is a generation-skipping trust, and in what situation would this be a valuable estate planning strategy? Lorsbach: “A generation skipping trust is, according to federal law, a trust in which the primary beneficiary or beneficiaries are two or more generations below the creator of the trust. As an example, if Pete and Mary have two children, and four grandchildren, and they set up a trust solely for the benefit of their grandchildren, that trust would be considered a generation skipping trust. These trusts are used to avoid payment of federal estate taxes upon the passage of assets from generation to generation. However, people need to be careful about using this technique because a federal generation skipping tax exists, which assess a tax on generation skipping trusts, which are in addition to the estate tax that might be due on such trusts. While the use of generation skipping trust can be a powerful planning technique, use of these trusts has decreased in recent years given the current level of the federal estate tax.”
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LOCAL DISH
Cajun Classic An authentic taste of New Orleans
photos by susan laughlin
Mardi Gras is a great time to celebrate all things Cajun. If you haven’t tried dirty rice, wait no longer. The dish is a staple in New Orleans, but don’t be put off by the one key ingredient — chicken liver. It gives the dish a slight taste of a Thanksgiving stuffing made with the turkey’s giblets. Chef Chris Noble, a native of New Orleans, is showcasing his Southern cooking at the new Dixie Blues Restaurant & Bar in Nashua. The large space offers a huge bar, more than 40 beers on tap and sea of TVs for sport fans, plus plenty of tables for families and groups. Dueling pianos will offer entertainment later in the evening. The Manchester restaurant, with the same name, is slated to open in March or April after a series of delays. Noble expects the experience to be slightly different in Manchester with variations on the menu and a more sophisticated drink list. Find all the Cajun classics at Dixie Blues, such as étouffée, po’ boys, jambalaya, seafood gumbo and more. Southern influences include a whole list of chicken and pork from the smoker. Steaks and burgers are available as well. Dixie Blues Restaurant & Bar Chef Chris Noble
Dirty Rice Recipe To cook the rice 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed 3 cups chicken broth 2 bay leaves Combine all in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered an additional 5 minutes, Remove cover, cool a bit, then fluff with a fork. 1 lb. pork sausage 3/4 lb. chicken liver and/or chopped gizzards 2 cups onions, chopped 1 1/2 cups green bell pepper, chopped 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 4 tablespoons Cajun spice mix or make your own blend (recipe below) 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
345 Amherst St., Nashua (603) 417-6909 dixiebluesnh.com
2 cups chicken stock 2 bay leaves 1⁄2 cup scallions chopped, for garnish Cajun spice mix 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons dried thyme and 1 tablespoon fresh 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon onion powder
about 4 to 6 minutes, adding cooking oil or butter if necessary. Add garlic, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, Cajun mix, soy and Worcestershire sauces, bay leaves, minced chicken liver/gizzards/pork sausage and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 15 minutes. Add cooked rice and another 1 cup of broth. Heat and stir to combine well and liquid is absorbed. Garnish with scallions, if desired.
In a large Dutch oven (or wok), brown pork sausage and then the liver in the fat released from the sausage. Remove liver/gizzards from pan and fine dice or mince in a food processor. Add onion, bell pepper and celery to the Dutch oven with cooking oil and cook until softened, nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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HOW TO
Spring-Clean Like the Pros How to eliminate more than dirt and dust BY EMILY HEIDT
Y
ou don’t need to go full Marie Kondo to find joy in a clean, well-organized home. All you need is a label maker, a couple of clear containers and a little bit of creativity. We spoke with Sandi D’Arezzo, professional organizer and owner of Hello Simplified, and asked her for a few manageable tips on how to make this spring-cleaning season your most productive yet. Her first suggestion — declutter your space before you start organizing it. Choose a space and pull everything out before organizing Don’t just move your clutter around. Take items out of closets, remove silverware from drawers, pull out expensive china plates that
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you never used, and ask yourself if you still enjoy using each individual item. The goal is to keep pieces that you love. “Sometimes sparking joy can be tough,” says D’Arezzo. “You can still use and love something because it is useful for you.” (OK, yes, there are some commonalities with the Netflix organization queen.) You might “love” your can opener because you use it often, but you don’t have to keep a strawberry corer you bought for that Pinterest fail strawberry pie. “Try not to get caught up in the ‘sunk cost fallacy’ and keep an item because you spent so much on it,” says D’Arezzo. “Holding onto that bread maker is bringing you down, no matter how much you spent on it.” D’Arezzo sometimes also sees clients who
Grouping like items, putting them in containers and labeling everything will help keep your closet or pantry in good order.
struggle with “gift guilt.” “If you receive a gift and you know that you will never use it, just let it go,” says D’Arezzo. “You don’t necessarily have the responsibility to carry that item with you for the rest of your life. If you are saying ‘should,’ then you shouldn’t be keeping it. Purging items like old gifts that are collecting dust will free up space for new, useful items.” As you sift through items, make three piles labeled “keep,” “throw out” and “donate.” It will feel better to donate items than
Paint pens are a great way to keep your pantry organized.
photo by raya on assignment
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HOW TO
Before and after of an organizational office overhaul
hold onto them for years on end. Once you finish sorting, make sure you clean the physical space out — sweep, vacuum and dust so you can start with a clean slate. Make sure everything is in the proper room You probably have papers in your kitchen that belong in your office, and old bowls in your office that belong in your kitchen. Make sure they are in their proper place so you can be more efficient in your organizing. Start by grouping like items together “If you are in the pantry, put pastas, cans, dressings and sauces together,” says D’Arezzo. “You can even group cleaning supplies and ‘extras’ like sponges together in a storage closet or under the bathroom sink.” The goal is to have a purposeful place for every item.
Donation Suggestions
photo by raya on assignment
-Look for Goodwill and Salvation Army stores or thrift shops in your area. -Check for local nonprofits, such as OutFITters, Linda’s Closet, Seacoast Family Promise, Operation Blessing, Friends of Forgotten Children and SHARE Outreach, that are looking for gently used items. -Don’t forget to think outside the box. Local animal shelters often need blankets and towels, and local libraries may have donation bins available for your used books. Organizations like Southeast New Hampshire Habitat for Humanity may also take your used appliances and furniture.
Utilizing space and containers As you’re grouping, you’ll start to notice what space you have available for containers and storage bins. D’Arezzo recommends using items that you already have, such as shoeboxes or product boxes to store your stuff in to start. When looking at bins for your space, it’s important to remember that utilizing vertical space is always better. D’Arezzo suggests keeping your toothbrushes and makeup brushes in cups or mugs on your counter, and using magazine holders instead of trays so you don’t have stacked clutter. The choice of container also depends on the room you’re organizing. “Clear acrylic bins are great for the pantry so you can put your grouped items in them,” says D’Arezzo. “Lazy susans also work well for oils and sprays, and drawer organizers come in handy for bathroom and kitchen drawers.” Along with bins, baskets and trays come in handy for organizing items such as TV remotes and blankets. “I love keeping a big basket in the living room for tossing toys or throw pillows and blankets,” says D’Arezzo. You can also use old boxes as a “donation station” for unwanted items. When it’s full, you take the box in to your local thrift shop. Labeling Labeling isn’t always necessary, says D’Arezzo, but it is useful for roommates, couples and families. “One person might know where the soup pot goes, but the others might not. Labeling helps give the reins over so everyone is able to properly put items away.” You can use a label maker and put labels on the lip of drawers and shelves, or purchase basket clips at Target or the Container Store for the bins in
your pantry. “Paint pens are a fun labeling option as well,” says D’Arezzo. “They are better than chalk markers because they don’t rub off, and they are more aesthetically pleasing.” The ultimate organizing goal is creating a system for yourself that is sustainable and maintainable. While it may seem tedious at the time, spring cleaning pays off in the long run. As you get rid of the books you don’t read and old plates that are gathering dust, you are also calming inner chaos and possibly kicking the winter blues. Once your home is put back together, you will be limiting any future mess, and you might find some old treasures along the way. Crank up your favorite tunes, pull out the vacuum, and get ready to feel refreshed. NH
Connect with Sandi D’Arezzo
hello-simplified.com Instagram @hellosimplified facebook.com/hellosimplifiedorganizing nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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CALENDAR
Calendar photo by susan laughlin
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OUR FAVORITE EVENTS FOR MARCH 2019
3/11 Steel Chef Challenge This fundraiser for the New Hampshire Food Bank is hosted by celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli (pictured with Chef Luca Paris). During the live competiion, local chefs will use surprise ingredients to whip up a fantastic dish for a panel of judges. General admission is $125, and VIP tickets, which include a meet-and-greet with Chef Guarnaschelli, are $200. DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester. nhfoodbank.org/2019-steel-chef-challenge New Hampshire Magazine is a proud sponsor of this event.
SPORTS & RECREATION 3/3
Hampton Half and 5K The 12th Annual Hampton Half Marathon is back. The race is one of the flattest and fastest half marathons in New England, and the scenic views will be sure to keep you motivated down to the last stretch. Don’t forget to stop by the after-party at Ashworth by the Sea for beer, hot soup, Stonyfield yogurt and Lindt chocolates. $39-$69. 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Ashworth by the Sea, 295 Ocean Blvd., Hampton. hamptonhalf.com
3/16
Pond Skim at Pats Peak Ski Area Who said that costumes were just meant for Halloween? Dust off that old ’80s outfit, throw on a pair of skis or a snowboard and ski or board across a man-made pond. If you don’t make it all the way across, you might fall into the icy water. Join the fun as a spectator or participant as the closing of the winter sport season is celebrated. There
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will be prizes for best costume, best splash, best skim and costumes are indeed required. 1 p.m., Pats Peak, 686 Flanders Rd., Henniker. (888) 728-7732; patspeak.com
3/17
Cardboard Box Derby at Loon Mountain If you have little ones who are going stir crazy at home, this one is for you. Watch as kids glide down the mountainside in the cardboard boxes that they have transformed into moose, pirate ships or even helicopters. Each vehicle must have one or more pilots and ski poles are allowed for steering. Put those boxes that you have lying around your house to good use, and see what fun vehicles you and your peanuts can come up with. 11 a.m., Loon Mountain, 60 Loon Mountain Rd., Lincoln. (603) 745-8214; loonmtn.com
3/17
BodeFest 2019 At this annual festival, visitors can enjoy a day of on- and off-slope activities with one of New Hampshire’s biggest sporting
names. Festivities include a fun race, kids’ ski with Bode Miller, silent and live auctions and an autograph session with the man of the hour. Best of all, it’s for a good cause — proceeds benefit Miller’s Turtle Ridge Foundation for adaptive and youth sports. $49. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Cannon Mountain Ski Area, 260 Tramway Dr., Franconia. (603) 823-8800; cannonmt.com
3/23
Snowshoe Yoga Hike to warm up before enjoying yoga in your snowshoes outside. You will finish by learning about and practice a walking mediation, all while enjoying the beautiful and peaceful trails at Prescott Farm. $25. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, 928 White Oak Rd., Laconia. (603) 3665695; prescottfarm.org
3/22
Harlem Globetrotters March sports don’t have to involve a ski slope or willful ignorance of the frigid temps on your “springtime” run. Catch
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some remarkable athletics from the comfort of the great indoors when this legendary team comes to the Queen City. But be prepared: The night’s jaw-dropping stunts may inspire your little ones to go particularly wild on the hoop in your driveway. $19-$130. 7 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 644-5000; snhuarena.com
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3/8
The Spirit of Johnny Cash Harold Ford channels the legendary Johnny Cash in this tribute show. $22-$27. 8 p.m. The Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester. (603) 335-1992; rochesteroperahouse.com
3/29-3/30
2019 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Northeast Regional Have you ever wanted to see your UNH Wildcats play in a big arena? Now is your chance. The University of New Hampshire will host this year’s NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Regional in an unforgettable night of hockey. $35-$65. SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 644-5000; snhuarena.com
3/9
Mike Girard’s Big Swinging Thing Mike Girard is the captivating and energetic lead singer and founder of the Boston-based band The Fools. Listen to your favorite rock classics — think AC/ DC, Billy Idol and The Animals — played by a 20-piece big band. Tickets start at $21.50. 7:30 p.m. The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth. (603) 536-2551; flyingmonkeynh.com
BENEFITS photo by kendal j. bush
3/16
CHaD Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship Some of New Hampshire’s finest men in uniform trade their badges for shin guards in this annual children’s hospital benefit. Pick a team to root for — police or firefighters — and watch the competitors tear up the ice for a good cause. Feeling especially generous? Event organizers are in need of volunteers for the day, too. $10. 5 p.m., SNHU Hockey Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. chadhockey.org
3/23
Hops for Hope To Share Brewing Co. donate a percentage of beer sales to benefit the American Cancer Society. There will also be a raffle table and information on ACS programs and services. To Share Brewing Company, 720 Union St., Manchester. (603) 836-6947; tosharebrewing.com
3/28
CATCH Comedy Night Join CATCH Neighborhood Housing as they celebrate the 25th Annual CATCH Comedy Night. The Capitol Steps will be returning to Concord with their latest political musical satire. Each show will consist of tasteful lampooning guaranteed to leave both sides of the political spectrum laughing. The show is constantly changing, so even if you have seen this group before, you won’t want to miss their take on current events. $20-$45. 8 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord. (603) 225-1111; ccanh.com
PERFORMING ARTS 3/1-3/17
“Stones in his Pockets” A witty tragicomedy where two actors play 15 roles. “Stones in his Pockets” tells the story of what happens when Hollywood takes over a small town in rural Ireland. $17. 7:30 p.m. Fri-Sat and 2 p.m. Sun. Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon Rd., Concord. (603) 715-2315; hatboxnh.com
Through 3/9
“Billy Elliot” Winner of 10 Tony Awards, including best musical, “Billy Elliot” is a heartwarming story about a boy in a depressed British mining town who goes from boxing ring to ballet, uniting his family and inspiring a community. Prices and times vary. Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. seacoastrep.org
Through 3/17
“Cabaret” Welcome to the famous Kit Kat Klub, where the Emcee, Sally Bowles and a raucous ensemble take the stage to tantalize the crowd
bring four decades of charted singles and 50 years of tradition to a stage show that is widely acknowledged as among the most exciting anywhere. $45-$75. 8 to 10 p.m., The colonial Theatre, 95 Main St., Keene. (603) 352-2033; thecolonial.org
3/9
3/23 On Tap for CASA Lazy do-gooders, this one’s for you. At this fundraiser for CASA of New Hampshire, participants are tasked with keeping their teams’ barstools occupied for one to three hours per person without abandoning the post — or, in other words, doing exactly what they’d normally do on a Saturday afternoon. Spots may filled at this point, but, if you’d like to get involved, you can still donate or stop by to enjoy the games and samples from local breweries. Returning this year, among others, is Able Ebenezer (Carl Soderberg from Able Ebenezer is pictured above). 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett. casanh.org/ontap New Hampshire Magazine is both a proud media sponsor and participant in this event. — and to leave their troubles outside. Life in pre-WWII Germany is uncertain and unsettled, and the question remains, will the allure of Berlin nightlife be enough to get them through such a dangerous time? Come hear some of the most memorable songs in theatre history, such as “Cabaret,” “Willkommen” and “Maybe This Time.” $25-$46. Times vary, The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. (603) 668-5588; palacetheatre.org
3/8
Shine the Light Tour 2019 The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of The Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of country hits and a No. 1 pop smash, and earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA and ACM awards. They have also garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. Every time they step before an audience, the Oaks
Soul of the Bayou: BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet with The Subdudes Two of Louisiana’s most critically acclaimed acts join together for an evening celebrating superb musical tradition. BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet will play Cajun music while The Subdudes meld gospel, soul, funk and folk. $30-$44. 8 p.m. The Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St., Keene. (603) 352-2033; thecolonial.org
3/9-3/10
Mozart 40 & Elgar Cello Concerto From Boise Philharmonic to Atlantic Opera to Filarmonica Marchigiana in Italy, conductor Stefano Sarzani enjoys an international career leading orchestras and operas across the United States and Europe. He is one of Symphony NH’s Music Director Search finalists. Brant Taylor will also be performing as a soloist and with ensembles including Pink Martini. Up to $52. 3/9 show at the Keefe Center for the Arts, 117 Elm St., Nashua; 3/10 show at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord. (603) 595-9156; symphonynh.org
3/14-3/24
“Willy Wonka” Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to chocolate-covered life. M&D Playhouse, 1857 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway. (603) 733-5275; mdplayhouse.com
3/15
Tape Face Through simple, clever and charming humor aimed at satisfying that hunger, Tape Face has created an accessible and enjoyable show. He is a character with universal appeal, and is delightful, wry, many-layered, and hilarious and transcends the barriers of language and culture. You might know him from “America’s Got Talent,” but if you don’t, just know that he has to be seen to be believed. $25-$136.25. 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord. (603) 225-1111; ccanh.com
3/15
Guster With the release of their eighth album, “Look Alive,” Guster is back on tour. For every ticket sold, 50 cents goes to REVERB. REVERB is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband, Adam Gardner of Guster. REVERB creates and executes comprehensive, custom programs to green the tour itself while engaging concert-goers to take action for the environment. $38 and $48. 8 p.m. The Music Hall, 80 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. (603) 436-2400; themusichall.org nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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3/22
Paula Poundstone Laugh along with this legendary performer known for her wit and observational comedy. Tickets start at $44. 7:30 p.m. 39 S. Main St., Plymouth. (603) 536-2551; flyingmonkeynh.com
3/23-3/24
Canterbury Maple Festival Enjoy a weekend in Canterbury celebrating the sweetest month of the year. Tour sugarhouses and artisans shops, and visit the Canterbury Shaker Village for a weekend of historic and modern activities. You also have the option to stay the night and enjoy warm hospitality. Participants will include North Family Farm, Canterbury Aleworks, Fox Country Smoke House, Brookford Farm and many more. Free. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Canterbury. (603) 7839334; canterburymaplefestival.com
ST. PATRICK’S DAY 3/6
Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music Ireland has one of the world’s richest music traditions. Learn all about it with the help of Celtic fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. Using performance of Irish folk songs and storytelling revealing the pieces’ historical context, Tirrell-Wysocki will explore the varied experiences of the Irish emigrant. Free. 10 a.m., Marion Gerrish Community Center, 39 West Broadway, Derry. (603) 434-8673; nhhumanities.org
3/15
The 28th Annual Wild Irish Breakfast St. Pat’s celebrations, good laughs, charity and breakfast? Sign us up. This Nashua tradition has counted vice presidents, senators and presidential candidates among its attendees as well as every Nashua mayor since 1991. Breakfast-goers can network and enter a raffle featuring such prizes as a trip for two to Ireland. Proceeds benefit the PLUS Company, a nonprofit working for individuals with disabilities. $85-$850. 8 a.m., DoubleTree by Hilton, 2 Somerset Pkwy, Nashua. wildirishbreakfast.org
3/31
St. Patrick’s Parade This longstanding Manchester tradition may be the granddaddy of all St. Patrick Day’s events in the Granite State. Organizations from around the state hoist the tricolor, don their green and march down Elm Street for the parade (which is held on a lateMarch Sunday every year to avoid competition on the 17th). Park your lawn chair along the route, wave to Grand Marshal Sheila Smith and scout out more guys in kilts than you’ll see all year. Manchester. saintpatsnh.com
FOOD & DRINK 2/23-3/4
Portsmouth Beer Week This 10-day celebration of local beer extends into March. Located at various venues around the Portsmouth area, there will be plenty of chances to taste some of the best craft brews. Visit portsmouthbeerweek.com for more information and a schedule of events.
3/22
Chocolate, Wine & Cheese Festival Chocolate and wine, sure. Cheese and wine, great. But chocolate, cheese and wine? Oh, boy. Kick off the spring season with a celebration of this tempting trio. Ticketholders can indulge in more than 80 domestic wines, chocolates and cheeses along with many other delectable treats. Any individual over the age of 21 is welcome to come and meet local producers and vendors with talent from all over New Hampshire. This event is hosted by the High Hopes Foundation. $25-$75. 7 to 9:30 p.m., Radisson Hotel Nashua, 11 Tara Blvd., Nashua.
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to share the secret. Throughout March, guided tours will be offered to share the sugaring operation and other mouthwatering activities. To sweeten the deal, there will even be local chefs hosting live cooking-with-maple demonstrations each day at noon. Times and dates vary, The Rocks Estate, 4 Christmas Ln., Bethlehem. (603) 444-6228; nhmapleexperience.com
3/29 Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg is in the elite EGOT club — meaning she’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. In addition to her iconic roles in movies such as “Ghost” and “The Color Purple,” she’s also well-known for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of children, the homeless, human rights, education, substance abuse and the battle against AIDS, as well as many other causes and charities. See her live at Portsmouth’s historic Music Hall. Tickets are $75, $98 and $130. 8 p.m. 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. (603) 436-2400; themusichall.org
MAPLE
3/2-3/30
Tap Into Maple From tapping a tree to tasting delicious maple syrup, you will participate in every step of the syrup making process. You will build tree identification skills, learn the parts of a tree and their functions, use measuring tools to find an appropriate tree to tap, use historical and modern tree-tapping tools, learn the history of maple sugaring and so much more. $10. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, 928 White Oak Rd., Laconia. (603) 366-5695; prescottfarm.org
3/2-3/31
Maple Express If you are one of those drownyour-breakfast-in-syrup kind of people, then March is the month for you. Charmingfare Farm is celebrating Maple Month with events such as maple tree tapping, taste testing, an authentic sugar shack tour, a horse-drawn sleigh ride and a Maple Express Dinner amongst other entertainment on Saturday evenings. There will even be maple candies, sugar, coffee, cotton candy and many other maple-themed items for sale in their gift shop. $22-$25. Times vary, Saturdays and Sundays, Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St., Candia. (603) 483-5623; visitthefarm.com
3/16-3/31
New Hampshire Maple Experience Have you ever wondered how that sweet and sugary liquid got into that maple-leaf shaped bottle before you poured it all over your stack of pancakes? The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem is willing
3/23-3/24
Maple Sugaring Open House Families are invited to visit the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm in Tamworth where they can visit the sugar house and see demonstrations of early sugaring practices of the Abenaki Indians as well as today’s modern evaporator. After learning a thing of two about the maple sugaring process, enjoy samples of farm-produced syrup and stock up on maple syrup and treats for sale. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm, 58 Cleveland Hill Rd., Tamworth Village. (603) 3237591; remickmuseum.org
MISCELLANEOUS 3/2
Winterfest The Inn at Pleasant Lake is holding its third annual festival, which includes great food, wine, art, festivities and more. The Inn at Pleasant Lake, 853 Pleasant St., New London. (603) 873-4833; innatpleasantlake.com
3/4
“Destiny of the Republic” Gibson’s Book Club will be reading “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard for the month of March. The book club is open to all, and it will be democratically run by the participants. Join the club for every meeting, or deal yourself in as the spirit moves you. Free. 5:30 to 7 p.m., Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 South Main st., concord. (603) 224-0562; gibsonsbookstore.com
3/8-3/10
52nd Annual New Hampshire State Home Show During the three-day expo, visitors can attend seminars on topics like remodeling and energy efficiency, browse a show floor full of displays from home pros, and, perhaps most excitingly, stop by the Tiny Home Village, a collection of on-trend Lilliputian living spaces built by local high school students and their NHHBA mentors. $6-$9. Fri 1 to 8 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 226-6538; nhstatehomeshow.net
3/12
Intro to Organic Gardening Series It’s always hard to guess if March in the Granite State will deliver a glimpse of spring or a few final blizzards. If you are itching to see the first signs of life, come and take part in this series where you will learn about planting seeds that will grow into strong, resilient plants. You will also gain the skills to help tend to their Learning Garden
courtesy photo
Juston McKinney New Hampshire’s own comedian Juston McKinney. $29. 7:30 p.m. The Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester. (603) 335-1992; rochesteroperahouse.com
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seedlings as they mature this spring. Free. 6 to 7:30 p.m., Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, 928 White Oak Rd., Laconia. (603) 366-5695; prescottfarm.org
3/19
Brewing New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present Attention beer connoisseurs, you won’t want to miss this event. Glenn Knoblock will explore the history of New Hampshire’s beer and ale brewing industry from the Colonial days to today’s modern breweries and brew pubs around the state. Rare and unusual photos and advertisements document this changing industry, including the Frank Jones in Portsmouth. Knoblock will also discuss more lesser-known brewers and breweries that operated in the state, including the only brewery that was owned and operated by a woman before the modern era. 7 p.m., Griffin Free Public Library, 22 Hooksett Rd., Auburn. (603) 483-5374; nhhumanities.org
3/19
Mason Bees: The Great and Gentle Pollinators Things will be buzzing at this meeting when gardening expert Barbara Longstaff presents this talk on bees. Longstaff is dedicated to raising awareness of the value of mason bees and the help needed to protect this important garden pollinator. In her talk, she will explore the unusual life of the mason bee, and what we can do to help this small, calm bee pollinate gardens with a few simple actions. $5. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Rd., Rye. ryenhgardenclub.com
3/20
“Under the Starry Flag” with Dr. Lucy Salyer Join Dr. Salyer and community partners as they moderate the “Becoming American” film discussion series. Salyer will extend the discussion, focusing on Irish-American immigrants with an illustrated talk based on her new book, “Under the Starry Flag.” It talks about how a band of Irish Americans joined the Fenian Revolt and sparked a crisis over citizenship. Free. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth. (603) 433-1100; strawberybanke.org
BEAR BROOK A PODCAST ABOUT A NH COLD CASE THAT MAY CHANGE HOW MURDERS ARE INVESTIGATED...FOREVER
FOR MORE, VISIT BEARBROOKPODCAST.ORG SUBSCRIBE WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS
3/23-3/24
New England Colonial Trade and Craft Fair Enjoy a weekend of historical reproductions, artisans and traders, plus gunsmiths, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, woodworkers and more. $5. Cisco Brewery, 35 Corporate Dr., Portsmouth. (603) 528-0675; Facebook
3/30
32nd Annual Bretton Woods Beach Party As the ski and snowboard season comes to a close, there’s no better time than now to get in the last runs of the year while soaking up the springtime rays. Spring skiing, live music, good food and great friends will complete this perfect day. This year’s beach party theme will be “Sapphire Seas.” Take part in activities ranging from a scavenger hunt to a rubber ducky race and even a slush pool. Prices vary. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Omni Mount Washington Resort, 310 Mount Washington Hotel Rd., Bretton Woods. omnihotels.com Find additional events at nhmagazine.com/calendar. Submit events eight weeks in advance to Emily Heidt at eheidt@nhmagazine.com to enter or enter your own at nhmagazine.com/calendar. Not all events are guarenteed to be published either online or in the print calendar. Event submissions will be reviewed and, if deemed appropriate, approved by a New Hampshire Magazine editor. nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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Good Eats
Chocolate tart from Oak & Grain, the farm-to-table restaurant at the beautiful Pleasant Lake Inn 853 Pleasant St., New London innatpleasantlake.com (603) 873-4833
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photo by jumping rocks
OUR GUIDE TO FINE DINING
603 LIVING
DINE OUT Our restaurant listings include Best of NH winners and advertisers along with others compiled by the New Hampshire Magazine editorial department. Listings are subject to change from month to month based on space availability. Expanded and highlighted listings denote advertisers. For additional and more detailed listings, visit nhmagazine.com.
H Best of NH
$ Entrées cost less than $12 2018 Editor’s Picks B Breakfast H Best of NH L Lunch 2018 Reader’s Poll D Dinner $$$$ Entrées cost b Brunch more than $25 $$$ Entrées cost between ( Reservations recom$18 and $25
mended
$$ Entrées cost between
New – Open for one year or less
$12 and $18
MERRIMACK VALLEY 900 Degrees H
PIZZERIA 50 Dow St., Manchester; (603) 641-0900; 900degrees.com; $–$$$ L D
1750 Taphouse
AMERICAN TAVERN/PIZZERIA 170 Rte. 101, Bedford; (603) 488-2573; Facebook; $-$$ B L D
Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano H
ITALIAN 11 Depot St., Concord; (603) 228-3313; angelinasrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D (
Barley House Restaurant H
TAVERN/AMERICAN 132 North Main St., Concord; (603) 228-6363; 43 Lafayette Rd., N. Hampton; (603) 3799161; thebarleyhouse.com; $–$$ L D
The Bedford Village Inn H
Colosseum Restaurant
AMERICAN/TAVERN 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford; (603) 472-2001; bedfordvillageinn.com; $$–$$$$ L D (
ITALIAN 264 North Broadway, Salem; (603) 898-1190; thecolosseumrestaurant.com; $–$$$ L D
Big Kahunas Café & Grill
The Copper Door H
HAWAIIAN 380 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; (603) 494-4975; nhkahuna.com $–$$ L D
The Birch on Elm
NEW AMERICAN/TAPAS 931 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 782-5365; Facebook; $–$$ L D
Buckley’s Bakery and Café
CAFÉ 436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; (603) 262-5929; 9 Market Place, Hollis; (603) 465-5522 (new location); buckleysbakerycafe.com; $–$$ B L D
Buckley’s Great Steaks
STEAKHOUSE 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; (603) 424-0995; buckleysgreatsteaks.com; $–$$$$ D (
Campo Enoteca
ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN 969 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 625-0256; campoenoteca.com; $$–$$$ L D
Canoe Restaurant and Tavern
AMERICAN 216 S. River Rd., Bedford; 935-8070; 232 Whittier Hwy., Center Harbor; (603) 253-4762; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/canoe-restaurant-and-tavern $$-$$$ L D (
Chiang Mai
THAI 63 Route 101, Amherst; (603) 672-2929; chiangmaifinethaicuisine. com; $–$$ L D
AMERICAN 15 Leavy Dr., Bedford; (603) 488-2677; 41 S Broadway, Salem; (603) 458-2033; copperdoorrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D (
Cotton H
AMERICAN 75 Arms St., Manchester; (603) 622-5488; cottonfood.com; $$–$$$$ L D (
The Crown Tavern H
GASTROPUB 99 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 218-3132; thecrownonhanover.com; $$ L D b
Cucina Toscana
ITALIAN 427 Amherst St., Nashua; (603) 821-7356; cucinatoscananashua.com; $ L D (
The Foundry
AMERICAN/FARM-TO-TABLE 50 Commercial St., Manchester; (603) 836-1925; foundrynh.com; $$-$$$ D b
Giorgio’s Ristorante
MEDITERRANEAN 707 Milford Rd., Merrimack; (603) 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford; (603) 673-3939; 270 Granite St., Manchester; (603) 232-3323; giorgios.com; $$–$$$ L D (
Granite Restaurant and Bar
The Oaks, Henniker; (603) 428-3281 colbyhillinn.com; $$–$$$$ D (
Grill 603
AMERICAN 168 Elm St., Milford; (603) 213-6764; grill603.com; $–$$$ L D b
Gyro Spot
GREEK 1037 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 218-3869; 421 Central Ave., Dover; (603) 343-4553; thegyrospot. com; $ L D
Hanover St. Chophouse H
STEAKHOUSE 149 Hanover Street, Manchester; (603) 644-2467; hanoverstreetchophouse.com; $$$–$$$$ L D (
Hermanos Cocina Mexicana H
MEXICAN 11 Hills Ave., Concord; (603) 224-5669; hermanosmexican.com; $–$$ L D
La Carreta H
MEXICAN 35 Manchester Rd., Derry; (603) 421-0091; 545 Hooksett Rd., Manchester; (603) 628-6899; 1875 South Willow St., Manchester; 139 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua; (603) 891-0178; lacarretamex.com; $-$$ L D
Matbah Mediterranean H
MEDITERRANEAN 866 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 232-4066; matbahcuisine.com; $ L D
Mediterrano Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine H
NEW AMERICAN 96 Pleasant St., Concord; (603) 227-9000; graniterestaurant.com; $$–$$$$ B L D b (
TURKISH/MEDITERRANEAN 24 Henniker St., Hillsborough; (603) 680-4319; mediterranoo.com $ L D
Grazing Room
Mint Bistro
FARM-TO-TABLE/NEW AMERICAN 33
FUSION/JAPANESE 1105 Elm St.,
Pickity Place
M aso n , N H • ( 6 03 ) 8 7 8-115 1 • p i c ki t y p l a c e . c o m
As the days get longer
winter starts to lose its grip. Gardeners and foodies alike anticipate the plants and herbs that will soon emerge. And at Pickity Place, we plan our menu for March, reflecting the changing season. Our unique menu changes each month and we serve at three private seatings each day: 11:30, 12:45 and 2:00. Reservations by phone. Have a Pickity Day! nhmagazine.com | March 2019
81
1 AM
Page 1
DINE OUT
Manchester; (603) 625-6468; mintbistronh.com; $$–$$$ L D b (
MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar
AMERICAN 212 Main St., Nashua; (603) 595-9334; mtslocal. com; $–$$$ L D
New England’s Tap House Grille H
TAVERN 1292 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett; (603) 782-5137; taphousenh.com; $–$$ L D b
Noodz
RAMEN/ASIAN 968 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 836-5878; Facebook; $-$$ L D
O Steaks & Seafood H
STEAKHOUSE/SEAFOOD 11 South Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Lakeport; (603) 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup. com; $$–$$$ L D
Pasquale’s Ristorante
ITALIAN 145 Raymond Rd., Candia; (603) 483-5005; 87 Nashua Rd., Londonderry; (603) 434-3093; pasqualeincandia. com; $–$$ L D
Take Pride in N.H. Visit www.nhmade.com for a list of the state’s finest specialty foods
Piccola Italia Ristorante
ITALIAN 815 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 606-5100; (603) 606-5100; $–$$ L D (
Red Blazer
AMERICAN 72 Manchester St., Concord; (603) 224-4101; theredblazer.com; $–$$$ L D b
Subscribe today!
Republic H
MEDITERRANEAN 1069 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 666-3723; republiccafe.com; $–$$$ L D
Revival Kitchen and Bar H
$14.97 for one year (12 issues)
nhmagazine.com (877) 494-2036 Call or visit us to order.
AMERICAN 11 Depot St., Concord; (603) 715-5723; revivalkitchennh.com; $$–$$$ D (
Riverside BBQ
BBQ 53 Main St., Nashua; (603) 204-5110; riversidebarbeque. com; $–$$ L D
Stella Blu
TAPAS 70 East Pearl St., Nashua; (603) 578-5557; stellablu-nh.com; $$–$$$ D
Surf Restaurant H
SEAFOOD 207 Main St., Nashua; (603) 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 334-9855; surfseafood.com; $$–$$$$ D b
Taj India H
INDIAN 967 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 606-2677; 47 E. Pearl St., Nashua; (603) 864-8586; tajindia.co; $–$$ L D New location in Nashua
Trattoria Amalfi
ITALIAN 385 S Broadway, Salem; (603) 893-5773; tamalfi. com; $–$$ D (
Tuckaway Tavern H
nhmagazine.com | March 2019
Umami
CAFÉ/FARM-TO-TABLE 284 1st NH Tpke, Northwood; (603) 9426427; Facebook; $–$$ B L D
Villaggio Ristorante
ITALIAN 677 Hooksett Rd., Manchester; (603) 627-2424; villaggionh.com; $–$$ L D (
Whiskey & Wine
TAPAS/INTERNATIONAL 148 North Main St., Concord; (603) 715-8575; Facebook $$–$$$ L D (
SEACOAST
Applecrest Farm Bistro
FARM-TO-TABLE 133 Exeter Rd., Hampton Falls; (603) 9260006; farmbistro.com; $-$$ B LDb
Atlantic Grill
SEAFOOD 5 Pioneer Rd., Rye; (603) 433-3000; theatlanticgrill. com; $$-$$$ L D
Bali Sate House H
INDONESIAN 44 High St., Somersworth; (603) 740-3000; Facebook; $ L D
Barrio at 3S Artspace
MEXICAN 319 Vaughn St., Portsmouth; (603) 766-3330; 3sarts. org/barrio-restaurant; $-$$ L D
Black Trumpet Bistro
INTERNATIONAL 29 Ceres St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-0887; blacktrumpetbistro.com; $$–$$$$ D(
Braise
INTERNATIONAL/AMERICAN 142 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-6464; braiseportsmouth. com; $$–$$$ L D (
BRGR Bar
BURGERS 34 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 294-0902; brgr-bar.com; $–$$ L D
Carriage House H
AMERICAN 2263 Ocean Blvd., Rye; (603) 964-8251; carriagehouserye.com; $$-$$$ D (
CAVA
TAPAS 10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth; (603) 319-1575; cavatapasandwinebar.com; $–$$$ L D
Chapel+Main H
NEW AMERICAN 83 Main St., Dover; (603) 842-5170; chapelandmain.com; $$–$$$ D (
Cornerstone Artisanal Pizza & Craft Beer
PIZZERIA 110 Brewery Ln., Portsmouth; (603) 294-0965; cornerstonepizzaandbeer.com; $–$$ L D
CR’s the Restaurant
AMERICAN/TAVERN 58 Rte. 27, Raymond; (603) 244-2431; thetuckaway.com; $–$$ L D
AMERICAN 287 Exeter Rd., Hampton; (603) 929-7972; crstherestaurant.com; $$-$$$ L D (
Tuscan Kitchen H
Cure
ITALIAN 67 Main St., Salem; (603) 952-4875; 581 Lafay-
82
ette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 570-3600; tuscan-kitchen.com; $$–$$$ L D b
NEW AMERICAN 189 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 427-8258;
curerestaurantportsmouth.com; $$-$$$ L D (
Ember Wood Fired Grill
AMERICAN 1 Orchard St., Dover; (603) 343-1830; emberwfg.com; $$-$$$ D b (
Epoch
NEW AMERICAN 2 Pine St., Exeter; (603) 772-5901; theexeterinn.com; $$$–$$$$ B L D b (
Franklin Oyster House
SEAFOOD 148 Fleet St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-8500; franklinoysterhouse.com; $-$$$ D
The Galley Hatch
AMERICAN 325 Lafayette Rd., Hampton; (603) 926-6152; galleyhatch.com; $-$$ B L D
Goody Cole’s Smokehouse
BBQ 375 Rte. 125, Brentwood; (603) 679-8898; goodycoles. com; $–$$ L D
Green Elephant H
VEGETARIAN 35 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 427-8344; greenelephantnh.com; $–$$ L D
Gyro Spot
GREEK 1037 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 218-3869; 421 Central Ave., Dover; (603) 343-4553; thegyrospot.com; $ L D
Holy Grail Restaurant & Pub
IRISH PUB 64 Main St., Epping; (603) 679-9559; holygrailrestaurantandpub.com; $–$$ L D
Hop + grind H
BURGERS 17 Madbury Rd., Durham; (603) 244-2431; hopandgrind.com; $–$$ L D
Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café
SEAFOOD 150 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 766-3474; jumpinjays.com; $$$–$$$$ D (
Library Restaurant
STEAKHOUSE 401 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-5202; libraryrestaurant.com $$$–$$$$ Db(
Lure Bar and Kitchen
TAPAS/SEAFOOD 100 Market St., Portsmouth; (603) 3730535; lureportsmouth.com; $$–$$$ D
Martingale Wharf
AMERICAN/SEAFOOD 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 4310901; martingalewharf.com; $$–$$$ L D
Mombo
INTERNATIONAL 66 Marcy St., Portsmouth; (603) 433-2340; momborestaurant.com; $$–$$$ LD(
Moxy
TAPAS 106 Penhallow St., Portsmouth; (603) 319-8178; moxyrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ D (
Native Coffee + Kitchen
CAFÉ 115 Lafayette Rd., Hampton Falls; (603) 601-7323 (new location); 25 Sagamore Rd., Rye; (603) 501-0436; nativenh.com; $–$$ B L
Nomads Kitchen
Tinos Greek Kitchen H
INTERNATIONAL 9 Madbury Rd., Durham; (603) 397-5539; nomads. kitchen; $–$$ B L
GREEK 325 Lafayette Rd., Hampton; (603) 926-5489; galleyhatch.com; $$–$$$ L D
Oak House
Tuscan Kitchen H
AMERICAN 110 Main St., Newmarket; (603) 292-5893; oakhousenewmarket.com; $–$$ L D b
Ohana Kitchen H
HAWAIIAN/POKE 800 Islington St., Portsmouth; (603) 319-8234; ohana. kitchen; $–$$ L D
The Old Salt at Lamie's Inn H
AMERICAN 490 Lafayette Rd., Hampton; (603) 926-8322; oldsaltnh.com; $–$$$ B L D b (
Otis
AMERICAN 4 Front St., Exeter; (603) 580-1705; otisrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ D(
Paty B's
ITALIAN 34 Dover Point Rd., Dover; (603) 749-4181; pattybs.com; $–$$$ L D
Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery
NEW AMERICAN 67 State St.,Portsmouth; (603) 427-8459; raleighwinebar.com; $$–$$$ D b (
Revolution Taproom and Grill
GASTRO PUB 61 North Main St., Rochester; (603) 244-3022; revolutiontaproomandgrill.com; Find an inventive gastro pub menu with plenty of beer on tap, including a nice local selection. $-$$ L D
Rick's Food and Spirits
NEW AMERICAN 143 Main St., Kingston; (603) 347-5287; rickskingston. com; $-$$ L D
Ristorante Massimo
ITALIAN 59 Penhallow St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-4000; ristorantemassimo. com; $$-$$$ D (
Row 34
SEAFOOD 5 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 319-5011; row34nh. com; $-$$$ L D b (
Rudi’s
ITALIAN 67 Main St., Salem; (603) 952-4875; 581 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 570-3600; tuscan-kitchen.com; $$–$$$ L D b
Vida Cantina
MEXICAN 2456 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 501-0648; vidacantinanh.com; $–$$ L D ITALIAN/WINE BAR 163 Water St., Exeter; (603) 580-4268; vinoevivo. com; $$–$$$ D (
The Wilder H
GASTROPUB 174 Fleet St., Portsmouth (603) 319-6878; wilderportsmouth.com; $$–$$$ L D b
The Wellington Room
NEW AMERICAN 67 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-2989; thewellingtonroom.com; $$$–$$$$ D (
LAKES
Bayside Grill and Tavern
AMERICAN 51 Mill St., Wolfeboro; (603) 894-4361; baysidegrillandtavern.com; $–$$ L D
Burnt Timber Tavern H
BREWPUB/TAVERN 96 Lehner St., Wolfeboro; (603) 630-4186; burnttimbertavern.com; $–$$ L D
nts for Top 3 Restaura ★
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Come in and see why we won!
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61 N. Main St, Rochester NH 603-244-3022 www.revolutiontaproomandgrill.com , ROCHESTER NH… Named City on the Rise!
Yes
Canoe Restaurant and Tavern
AMERICAN 232 Whittier Hwy., Center Harbor; (603) 253-4762; 216 S. River Rd., Bedford; 935-8070; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/canoe-restaurant-and-tavern $$-$$$ L D (
Corner House Inn
AMERICAN 22 Main St., Center Sandwich; (603) 284-6219; cornerhouseinn.com $$ L D b (
Crystal Quail
NEW AMERICAN/WINE BAR 20 High St., Portsmouth; (603) 430-7834; rudisportsmouth.com; $$-$$$$ L D b(
AMERICAN 202 Pitman Rd., Center Barnstead; (603) 269-4151; crystalquail.com; $$$–$$$$ D (
Sake Japanese Restaurant
Faro Italian Grille
JAPANESE 141 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-1822; portsmouthsake.com; $-$$ L D (
ITALIAN 7 Endicott St., Laconia; (603) 527-8073; faroitaliangrille.com; $–$$ D(
Shio H
Garwood’s
JAPANESE 2454 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 319-1638; shiorestaurant.com; $-$$ L D
AMERICAN 6 North Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-7788; garwoodsrestaurant.com; $–$$ L D (
Sonny’s Tavern
Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co.
NEW AMERICAN 328 Central Ave., Dover; (603) 343-4332; sonnystaverndover.com; $–$$ D b
BREWPUB 2415 White Mountain Hwy., West Ossipee; (603) 539-2000; hobbstavern.com; $–$$ L D
Street
INTERNATIONAL 801 Islington St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-0860; streetfood360.com; $-$$ L D b
Inn Kitchen + Bar AMERICAN/ FARM-TO-TABLE 28 Shepard Hill Rd., Holderness; (603) 968-4417; innkitchen.com; $–$$$ D (
Street'za
Kathleen's Irish Pub
PIZZERIA 801 Islington St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-7500; streetza360. com; $-$$ L D
IRISH PUB 90 Lake St., Bristol; (603) 744-6336; kathleensirishpub. com; $–$$ L D
Surf Seafood H
Kettlehead Brewing H
SEAFOOD 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 334-9855; surfseafood.com; $$–$$$$ D
APPY HOUR & ★ H T S E B ★ S LUNCH BEST BUSINES
Vino e Vino
BREWPUB 407 West Main St., Tilton; (603) 286-8100; kettleheadbrewing. com; $–$$ L D
nhmagazine.com | March 2019
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603 LIVING Lago
AMERICAN 1 Route 25, Meredith; (603) 279-2253; thecman.com; $–$$ D
Lakehouse
AMERICAN 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith; (603) 279-5221; thecman. com; $–$$ B L D b
Lemongrass
ASIAN 64 Whittier Hwy., Moultonborough; (603) 253-8100; lemongrassnh.net; $–$$ L D
Local Eatery
FARM-TO-TABLE 17 Veterans Square, Laconia; (603) 527-8007; laconialocaleatery.com; $$–$$$ D (
Mise en Place
ITALIAN/AMERICAN 96 Lehner St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-5788; miseenplacenh.com; $$-$$$$ L D (
The New Woodshed
DINE OUT
Osteria Poggio
Chesterfield Inn
AMERICAN 20 Cross Rd., West Chesterfield; (603) 256-3211; chesterfieldinn.com; $$-$$$ D (
CAFÉ 28 Washington St., Keene; (603) 352-5700; kristinsbistroandbakery.com; $–$$ B L
Pasquaney Restaurant
Cooper’s Hill Public House
Luca’s Mediterranean Café
AMERICAN Inn on New Found Lake, 1030 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater; (603) 744-9111; newfoundlake.com/ restaurant-tavern; $$–$$$ D (
Tavern 27
TAPAS/PIZZA 2075 Parade Rd., Laconia; (603) 528-3057; tavern27. com; $–$$ L D (
Wolfe’s Tavern
NEW ENGLAND TAVERN 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-3016; wolfestavern.com; $$–$$$ B L D b (
MONADNOCK 21 Bar & Grill
PUB 6 School St., Peterborough; (603) 371-9036; coopershillpublichouse.com; $-$$$ L D
MEDITERRANEAN 10 Central Sq., Keene; (603) 358-3335; lucascafe. com; $$–$$$ L D (
Del Rossi’s Trattoria
Nicola’s Trattoria
ITALIAN Rte. 137, Dublin; (603) 563-7195; delrossis.com $$–$$$ D (
ITALIAN 51 Railroad St., Keene; (603) 355-5242; Facebook; $$$–$$$$ D
Elm City Brewing H
The Old Courthouse H
BREW PUB 222 West St., Keene; (603) 355-3335; elmcitybrewing.com; $–$$ L D
NEW AMERICAN 30 Main St., Newport; (603) 863-8360; eatatthecourthouse. com; $$–$$$ L D b (
Fireworks
Papagallos Restaurant
ITALIAN/PIZZERIA 22 Main St., Keene; (603) 903-1410; fireworksrestaurant.net; $–$$ D (
ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN 9 Monadnock Hwy., Keene; (603) 3529400; papagallos.com; $–$$ L D (
Fox Tavern at the Hancock Inn
Parker's Maple Barn H
TAVERN 33 Main St., Hancock; (603) 525-3318; hancockinn.com $-$$$ L D (
AMERICAN 128 Lee Rd., Moultonborough; (603) 476-2700; newwoodshed.com; $–$$$ D
AMERICAN 21 Roxbury St., Keene; (603) 352-2021; Facebook; $–$$ B L D
O Bistro at the Inn on Main
ITALIAN 79 Antrim Rd., Bennington; (603) 588-6512; albertosnh.com; $–$$ D (
AMERICAN The Woodbound Inn 247 Woodbound Rd., Rindge; (603) 532-4949; woodbound.com; $$–$$$ BLDb(
Bantam Grill
The Hancock Inn
AMERICAN 200 North Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 515-1003; innnewhampshire.com/our-bistro; $$–$$$ D
O Steaks & Seafood H
STEAKHOUSE/SEAFOOD 11 South Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Lakeport; (603) 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com; $$–$$$ L D
Kristin’s Bistro H
ITALIAN 18 Main St., Center Harbor; (603) 250-8007; osteriapoggio.com; $$–$$$ D (
Alberto’s Restaurant
ITALIAN 1 Jaffrey Rd., Peterborough; (603) 924-6633; bantam-peterborough.com; $$–$$$ D (
Bellows Walpole Inn Pub
NEW AMERICAN 297 Main St., Walpole; (603) 756-3320; bellowswalpoleinn.com; $$ L D (
The Grove
AMERICAN 33 Main St., Hancock; (603) 525-3318; hancockinn.com; Prix fixe, $48.; $$–$$$$ D (
The Hungry Diner
FARM-TO-TABLE 9 Edwards Ln., Walpole; (603) 756-3444; hungrydinerwalpole.com; $–$$ B L D
BREAKFAST 1316 Brookline Rd., Mason; (603) 878-2308; parkersmaplebarn.com; $ B L
Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar H
ASIAN 1 Jaffrey Rd., Peterbrough; (603) 924-5225; pearl-peterborough.com $$–$$$ D (
Pickity Place
FARM-TO-TABLE 248 Nutting Hill Rd., Mason; (603) 878-1151; pickityplace. com — A historic place to lunch. Fresh, local ingredients are used, including herbs grown in the onsite gardens. There are three seatings at 11:30 a.m., 12:40 p.m. and 2 p.m. $$ L (
C: 80 M: 10 Y: 45 K: 0
C: 100 M: 75 Y: 0 K: 0
C: 58 M: 22 Y: 0 K: 0
PMS: 326
PMS: reflex blue
PMS: 292
Want to send your child to summer camp but don’t know where to start? Swing by one of
ParentingNH’s
Summer Camp & Program Expos. Meet with representatives from overnight, day, arts, adventure, sports, & abroad camps.
FREE ADMISSION! 84
nhmagazine.com | March 2019
Nashua
Saturday, March 2 10 a.m.-1p.m. Courtyard by Marriott Nashua
Manchester
Saturday, March 16 10 a.m.-1p.m. Derryfield Country Club
After the Expos
Go to parentingnh.com for a list of all the summer camp programs in the state. View photos, videos and more!
603 LIVING
DINE OUT
Piedra Fina
LATIN 288 Main St., Marlborough; (603) 876-5012; piedrafina.com; $–$$ LD(
Restaurant at Burdick’s
FRENCH 47 Main Street, Walpole; (603) 756-9058; burdickchocolate. com; $–$$$ L D b (
The Stage H
AMERICAN 30 Central Sq., Keene; (603) 357-8389; thestagerestaurant. com; $-$$ L D
Stuart and John's Sugar House
BREAKFAST 19 Route 3, Westmoreland; (603) 399-4486; stuartandjohnssugarhouse.com; $ B L
Thorndike’s & Parson’s Pub
AMERICAN/PUB The Monadnock Inn, 379 Main St., Jaffrey; (603) 532-7800; monadnockinn.com; $–$$$ D (
Base Camp Café
NEPALESE 3 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 643-2007; basecampcafenh. com; $-$$ L D
Bistro Nouveau
AMERICAN 30 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-3321; lousrestaurant.net; $-$$ B L D
Market Table
AMERICAN The Center at Eastman, 6 Clubhouse Lane, Grantham; (603) 863-8000; bistronouveau.com; $–$$$$ L D (
FARM-TO-TABLE 44 Main St., Hanover; (603) 676-7996; markettablenh.com; $–$$ B L D b
Candela Tapas Lounge H
Millstone at 74 Main
TAPAS 15 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 277-9094; candelatapas.com; $$-$$$ D (
AMERICAN 74 Newport Rd., New London; (603) 526-4201; 74mainrestaurant.com; $–$$ L D b
Coach House
Molly’s Restaurant H
AMERICAN 353 Main St., New London; (603) 526-2791; thenewlondoninn.com/the-coach-house-restaurant;$ $–$$$$ D (
AMERICAN 11 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4075; mollysrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D b (
Farmer’s Table Café
AMERICAN 11 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4075; murphysonthegreen.com; $$–$$$ L D b (
AMERICAN 9 Court St., Keene; (603) 354-3214; Facebook; $–$$ L D b
FARM-TO-TABLE 249 Rte. 10, Grantham; (603) 863-9355; farmerstablecafe.com; $–$$ L D
Waterhouse
Flying Goose Brew Pub H
Tillie’s
Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery H
Murphy’s
Oak & Grain Pleasant Lake Inn H
AMERICAN 18 Water St., Peterborough; (603) 924-4001; waterhousenh.com; $-$$$ L D b (
BREW PUB 40 Andover Rd., New London; (603) 526-6899; flyinggoose.com; $–$$ L D
PRIX FIXE Inn at Pleasant Lake, 853 Pleasant St., New London; (603) 5266271; innatpleasantlake.com; D (
DARTMOUTH/ LAKE SUNAPEE
Jesse’s Steaks, Seafood & Tavern
The Old Courthouse H
Appleseed Restaurant
AMERICAN 63 High St., Bradford; (603) 938-2100; appleseedrestaurant.com $-$$ D
AMERICAN/SEAFOOD 224 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 643-4111; jesses. com; $–$$ D (
AMERICAN 30 Main St., Newport; (603) 863-8360; eatatthecourthouse.com; $-$$$ L D b (
Latham House Tavern
Peyton Place
TAVERN 9 Main St., Lyme; (603) 795-9995; lathamhousetavern.com; $–$$ L D
AMERICAN 454 Main St., Orford; (603) 353-9100; peytonplacerestaurant.com; $$ D (
Phnom Penh Sandwich Station
VIETNAMESE 1 High St., Lebanon; (603) 678-8179; phnompenhsandwiches.com; $-$$ L D
PINE at the Hanover Inn H
AMERICAN 2 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4300; hanoverinn. com/dining.aspx; $$$–$$$$ B L D b (
Revolution Cantina H
CUBAN AND MEXICAN 38 Opera House Square, Claremont; (603) 504-6310; Facebook; $-$$ L D b
Suna
AMERICAN 6 Brook Rd., Sunapee; (603) 843-8998; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com; $$–$$$ D (
Taverne on the Square
AMERICAN 2 Pleasant St., Claremont; (603) 287-4416; claremonttaverne. com; $–$$$ L D
Three Tomatoes Trattoria
ITALIAN 1 Court St., Lebanon; (603) 448-1711; threetomatoestrattoria. com; $–$$ L D
Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine
THAI 5 S. Main St., Hanover; (603) 2779192; tuktukthaicuisine.com; $–$$ L D (
NORTH COUNTRY Bailiwicks
AMERICAN 106 Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-7717; bailiwicksfinerestaurant.com; $-$$$ L D (
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603 LIVING The Beal House Inn
pub 2 W. Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-2661; thebealhouseinn.com; $$-$$$ D
The Burg H
PIZZA 8 Back Lake Rd,. Pittsburg; (603) 538-7400; Facebook; $ D
Chang Thai Café
thai 77 Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-8810; changthaicafe.com; $-$$ L D
Chef’s Bistro
NEW american 2724 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 3564747; chefsbistronh.com; $-$$ L D
Deacon Street Martini & Whiskey Bar
AMERICAN 32 Seavey St., Conway; (603) 356-9231; deaconst.com; $$–$$$ D
Delaney’s Hole in the Wall
AMERICAN/asian 2966 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-7776; delaneys.com; $–$$ L D
Gypsy Café H
international 111 Main St., Lincoln; (603) 745-4395; gypsycaferestaurant.com; $–$$ L D
Horse & Hound Inn
american/tavern 205 Wells Rd., Franconia; (603) 823-5501; horseandhoundnh.com; $$–$$$$ L D (
Horsefeathers
AMERICAN 2679 White Mountain
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DINE OUT
Hwy., North Conway; (603) 3562687; horsefeathers.com; $–$$ L D
Inn at Thorn Hill
american 40 Thorn Hill Rd., Jackson; (603) 383-4242; innatthornhill. com; $$–$$$$ D (
Jonathon’s Seafood
seafood/American 280 East Side Rd., North Conway; (603) 447-3838; jonathonsseafood.com; $–$$$ L D (
The Last Chair
american/brew Pub 5 Rte. 25,Plymouth; (603) 238-9077; thelastchairnh.com; $-$$ L D
Libby’s Bistro & SAaLT Pub
NEW AMERICAN 115 Main Street on Rte. 2, Gorham; (603) 466-5330; libbysbistro.org; $$–$$$ L D (
The Little Grille
american/International 62 Cottage St., Littleton; (603) 444-0395; thelittlegrille.com; $–$$ L D
Margarita Grill
mexican Rte. 302, Glen; (603) 3836556; margaritagrillnh.com; $–$$ L D
Max’s Restaurant and Pub
american Snowvillage Inn, 36 Stewart Rd., Eaton Center; (603) 447- 2818; snowvillageinn.com; $$-$$$ D (
Moat Mountain Smokehouse H
brew pub 3378 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-6381; moatmountain.com; $–$$ L D (
Peyton Place Restaurant
new american 454 Main St., Orford; (603) 353-9100; peytonplacerestaurant.com; $$–$$$ D (
Polly's Pancake Parlor H
breakfast 672 Sugar Hill Rd., Sugar Hill; (603) 823-5575; pollyspancakeparlor.com; $ B L
Rainbow Grille & Tavern H
AMERICAN/TAVERN 609 Beach Rd., Pittsburg; (603) 538-9556; rainbowgrille.com — Serving a variety of comfort food from seafood to ribs. The tavern serves appetizers, hearthbaked pizzas and more. $–$$ D (
Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub
STEAKHOUSE 3 Station St., Glen; (603) 383-4344; redparkapub.com; $–$$ L D
Rustic River
american 5 Main St., North Woodstock; (603) 745-2110; rusticriverrestaurant.com; $-$$ L D
Schilling Beer Co.
brew pub 18 Mill St., Littleton; (603) 444-4800; (603) 444-4800; schillingbeer.com; $-$$ L D
Shannon Door Pub
pub Rte. 16 and 16A, Jackson; (603) 383-4211; shannondoor.com; $-$$ L D
Shovel Handle Pub
pub 357 Black Mountain Rd., Jackson; (603) 383-8916; shovelhandlepub.com; $-$$ L D
Six Burner Bistro
american 13 South Main St., Plym-
outh; (603) 536-9099; sixburnerbistro.com; $-$$ L D
Table + Tonic
new american/farm-to-talbe 3358 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-6068; tableandtonic.com; $-$$$ B L D (
Thompson House Eatery H
AMERICAN/FArm-to-table 139 Main St., Jackson; (603) 383-9341; thompsonhouseatery.com; $$-$$$ L D (
Tony’s Italian Grille & Pub
italian 3674 Rte. 3, Thornton; (603) 745-3133; $$ L D (
Tuckerman's Restaurant & Tavern
tavern 336 Route 16A, Intervale; (603) 356-5541; tuckermanstavern. com; $–$$ D
Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro
italian 45 Seavey St., North Conway; (603) 356-7000; vitomarcellositalianbistro.com; $$-$$$ D
The Wayside Inn
european 3738 Main St., Bethlehem; (603) 869-3364; thewaysideinn.com; $$–$$$ D (
Woodstock Brewery H
BREW PUB Rte. 3, North Woodstock; (603) 745-3951; woodstockinnnh. com; $–$$ L
Visit nhmagazine.com/food for more listings, food and drink features or to sign up for the monthly Cuisine E-Buzz.
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Tourism à la Mud Brilliant ideas to build up a fifth season
S
ome time ago, I wrote about my idea to turn mud season into a tourist draw for our town like foliage season. So far, we’ve had limited success. That’s government talk for absolute failure. The first problem is knowing when mud season will happen. Around here in the spring, the weather can’t decide what it’s doing. Snow? Sleet? Rain? Freezing rain with a dash of hail? You can’t plan anything until the weather calms down and starts taking its medication around May 1. Our local pundits (the guys at the counter of the Bluebell Diner, who don’t have much to do beside punditting) try to predict mud season based on weather forecasts, historical averages and their increasingly faulty memories. As prognostication goes, this is right up there with studying chicken entrails (which we would try, if Homer Andrews weren’t so stingy with his birds). We do have a Mud Watch report on our local radio station (WHAT) so people from away can plan their visits during “peak mud,” but the station’s signal only reaches to the outskirts of town even on a windy day, so that doesn’t help much. The weather has also ruined some events, like the mud sculpture contest (inspired by
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nhmagazine.com | March 2019
BY KEN SHELDON those sand sculpture contests at the beach). Bert Woodbury’s highly detailed sculpture of a ’57 Farmall tractor would have won if it hadn’t started to rain. Turns out, the sculpture actually was Bert’s ’57 Farmall, to which he just added a little more in mud. Then there was the mud pie contest. About that, the less said, the better. Still, a few other organizations around the state have jumped on the mudwagon:
Downhill Squishing
The ski season never ends at Mount Fillmore in picturesque Mittibittiwittisquam, New Hampshire. “Toward the end of March, we haul out the mud skis, mud boards and mudboggans,” says manager Irene Muckmore, who promises 6 to 12 inches of finely groomed mud on all trails, including the notorious black diamond “Washboard Alley.” Après slush, stop by the lodge to warm up with a cup of Café Muddachino, a hearty brew Irene stumbled on when she bought those cheap paper filters from the Odd Lots store.
Ye Olde Haunted Mudde Toure
Shiver your timbers at the site where Captain Josiah Henderson accidentally scuttled his ship in the mud of Portsmouth Harbor back in 1763 because he was busy knitting
a tea cozy at the time. Dispatched by his embarrassed crew, Henderson’s ghost can sometimes be seen at low tide crying out, “Knit one! Purl two!”
Mansion à la Mud
Historic Waverly Mansion in Willardville, New Hampshire, built in 1912 by eccentric millionaire Willard Waverly, was constructed entirely of mud bricks along the banks of the Connecticut River, into which it threatens to slide every spring. The National Historic Register has designated the mansion “A Really Strange Place.”
The East Mildew Mud Museum
The life work of curator Walter Thurlow, this museum promises minutes of fun for the whole family, with features like: Mud Through the Ages (including actual mud from Mesopotamia), Mud Goes to Hollywood (classic film clips featuring mud) and Walter’s whimsical “Dirty Pictures” (PG13). If the mud season idea doesn’t pan out, I’ve got another idea I’m working on: gluten-free, non-GMO, low-fat, vegan maple syrup. I know, that’s basically all maple syrup. But folks around here are depending on me, and if this doesn’t work out, my name will be ... well, you know. NH
illustration by brad fitzpatrick
603 LIVING
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