The Hippo: February 2, 2017

Veteran Farmers

New Nonprofit Seeks to Pair Vets with Agribusiness

Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

Farms need farmers and many disabled veterans need jobs; that’s why Rebecca Beaulieu and her husband Ken Beaulieu of Derry started Veterans Chapel Farm, a nonprofit organization that will provide free agricultural training to veterans and then provide land to use at Millcreek Dairy in Chester.

Right now, they have four veterans in the program, including Ken. One is using a plot of land to raise chickens and turkeys, another has a hop yard for growing hops and a third is making goat cheese from the milk the dairy produces.

“Whether it be vegetable production or livestock, we kind of cater to what it is they’re interested in,” CEO Rebecca Beaulieu said.

The Beaulieus started the program in partnership with Jeff Geary, co-owner of Millcreek Dairy with Ken Beaulieu. The products that come out of the veterans’ work are sold at farmers markets and the Millcreek retail store. The participating veterans keep most of the profits with a portion going to the nonprofit.

Beaulieu said they can accommodate up to 12 participants at a time right now and hope to enroll four more within the next six months.

While there are a few more openings at Millcreek Dairy, Beaulieu is looking for additional partner farms who will be willing to take in veteran workers and their side ventures.

While Beaulieu says the program can introduce veterans to an industry that can prove healing and therapeutic for many, it can also benefit farms. Many family farmers are aging out of the business and don’t have someone else to take over for them when they retire.

“We feel like veterans are uniquely equipped to farming, they have some of the characteristics that farmers really need, and what better place for a disabled veteran who maybe cannot return to the workforce and the capacity that they were in the military, to be able to heal here, be able to grow, to connect with other veterans … and giving back to the community in that way,” Beaulieu said.

Veterans Chapel Farm is teaming up with the University of New Hampshire agriculture program to train the vets. They then put together a business plan and after it’s workshopped and approved, they begin their business incubation. The idea is for them to spend about three years on Millcreek or future partnering farms before graduating and moving on.

While Beaulieu grew up on a farm, her husband Ken is a disabled Navy veteran who, after years of looking for a new career, decided to give farming a try. They received some training from UNH and connected with the Farmer Veteran Coalition in California.

After they moved to New Hampshire, they did some research and found that no similar program exists here.

“[We] thought, well, if we don’t have one, we’re going to make one,” Beaulieu said.

Veterans Chapel Farm is partnering with a separate tiny house program in Lee organized by the Veterans Resort Chapel. Rebecca Beaulieu hopes that in addition to the existing three tiny houses there, 10 more will be built within the next year. One of the current farm program participants is living in one of the tiny houses.

Veterans interested in participating in the Veterans Chapel Farm program are encouraged to email veteranschapelfarm@gmail.com or call Millcreek Dairy at 887-6455.

Time Out

Head to a Local Bar for Game-Day Specials

Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

Get the squad together and watch the Patriots beat the Falcons at any of these area sports bars offering game-day specials and festivities.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will have an all-you-can-eat buffet for $12, featuring macaroni and cheese, Swedish and Italian meatballs, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers and more.

•Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564, auburnpitts.com) is having a free all-you-can-eat buffet beginning at 5:30 p.m., featuring steak, baked macaroni and cheese, salads, meatballs, pork tenderloin and more. Random prizes will also be given away throughout the big game. For all Patriots games, $5 domestic beer pitchers and 25 cent wings are available.

• Billy’s Sports Bar and Grill (34 Tarrytown Road, Manchester, 622-3644, billyssportsbar.com) will be throwing a pregame party from 4 to 6 p.m., with giveaways, prizes and more.

• Boston Billiard Club (55 Northeastern Boulevard, Nashua, 943-5630, bostonbilliardclub.com) will be offering 50-cent wings, $1 hot dogs and $3 domestic draft beer.

• City Sports Grille & Spare Time (216 Maple St., Manchester, 625-9656, sparetimemanchester.com) will have a special of 14 wings and a 16-ounce draft beer for $5. A 43-inch LED HD TV will be given away to a lucky fan by the end of the third quarter of the big game. Other festivities include a chili contest, in which participants can bring their favorite chili recipe for a chance to win $100.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, derryfieldrestaurant.com) will have a wheel that will be spun every time the Patriots score, which lands on a special that can include anything from a $1 draft beer to a $3 mudslide.

• The Dugout & 1oak on Elm (1087 Elm St., Manchester, 206-5599, facebook.com/thedugoutnh) offers discounts on gourmet burgers, wing baskets, and domestic draft beers. Prizes and other giveaways are expected to be offered during each quarter of the big game.

• The Flight Center (97 Main St., Nashua, flightcenterbc.com) will be hosting a party beginning at noon on the day of the big game, featuring brews from several New Hampshire breweries.

• Generals Sports Bar and Grill (840 S. Stark Highway, Weare, 529-3663, facebook.com/generalssportsbarandgrill) will be offering specials on appetizers, beers and cocktails, as well as special giveaways, all beginning at kickoff at 6:30 p.m.

• J. Michael’s Sports Pub (57 Rockingham Road, Windham, 894-0066, jmichaelspub.com) will be offering 50-cent wings and $2 domestic draft beers. Pitcher and bucket specials will also be available.

• Killarney’s Irish Pub (9 Northeastern Boulevard, Nashua, 888-1551, facebook.com/killarneys.irish.pub.nashua) will offer $2.50 Bud and Bud Light drafts and $5 Buffalo or barbecue chicken wings, Buffalo chicken dip, pub chips topped with chili and cheese, jalapeno poppers and traditional nachos.

• Kimball’s Cav’ern (351 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 485-7777, kimballscavern.com) will offer specials including $12 Bud Light aluminum bottle buckets (five bottles per bucket), $2 drafts of Bud and Bud Light, and $3 Harpoon drafts. There will also be raffle prizes and football squares.

• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.net) will have $2.50 Bud and Bud Light bottles and Harpoon IPA and UFO White draft beers and 25-cent wings.

• Nashua Garden (121 Main St., Nashua, 886-7363, facebook.com/thenashuagarden603) will have $1 off all drafts upstairs during the game.

• New England Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) will offer a $12 wings platter with 20 wings, a special beer selection TBA and a prize giveaway. The Tap House boasts 15 televisions in the bar.

• The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com) will be hosting a big party during the big game with the Bud Light Girls. Bud Light drafts will be $2.50 and food specials are TBA.

• The Pint Publik House (1111 Elm St., Manchester, 206-5463, pintpublikhouse.com) will have specials including $2 Bud Light and Miller Light drafts, 50-cent wings, $12 bottomless boneless wings and a special taco, which is different each week. Since the game is on a Sunday, there will also be $3 mimosas, margaritas and bloody marys.

• The River Casino & Sports Bar (53 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com) will offer 50-cent bone-in wings, $2 Bud Lights and the G.O.A.T. Burger — two half-pound patties with goat cheese, lettuce, tomato and spicy mayonnaise, topped with onion rings and pierced with a steak knife. There will be prizes and giveaways throughout the game, and each G.O.A.T. Burger purchase enters you to win a halftime giveaway prize.

• Romano’s Pizza of Litchfield (27 Colby Road, Litchfield, 424-0500, romanosnh.com) will have $2 PBR drafts and Coors Light bottles and $5 appetizers. Visitors will get to play trivia and football squares with purchase and a chance to win prizes.

• Seasons Tickets Sports Bar (554 Front St., Manchester, 623-5757, seasonsticketsnh.com) will offer $2 drafts during the game.

• Shade Bar and Grill (11 Tara Boulevard, Nashua, 888-9970, shadebarandgrillnh.com) will have a few $5 appetizers, and $2.50 16-ounce domestic draft beers.

• Shaka’s Bar and Grill (11 Wilton Road, Milford, 554-1224, shakasbargrill.com) is hosting a tailgate party at 4 p.m., as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet. A variety of drink and food discounts will be available for the duration of the big game.

• The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery (58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com) will be selling $75 game-day meat packs which will include five pounds of house wings, two pounds of house steak tips, two pounds of chicken tips, six homemade sausages and a large buffalo dip. People sitting at the bar will be able to get two pounds of chicken tenders — called chicken toes — for $10. And for every 10 points scored by the Patriots, people at the bar will get one pound of free chicken.

• The Wild Rover (21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com) will have $3 beers on draft, $3 bloody marys and game-time appetizer specials. When patrons purchase a Coors Light, they’re entered into a raffle to win a Tom Brady jersey.

Superbowl Predictions

Written By Dave Long   (dlong@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

As is the custom when the Patriots go to the Super Bowl, I asked some of my favorite local sports lovers what they think will happen vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. I even reached out to my friend from Little League days, Mark Elliott, to get a prediction from the only living Atlanta resident I know. He goes Atlanta 31, Patriots 24, saying, “The Falcons are playing great, have real momentum and incredible support from Atlanta based fans (pump in that sound!).” All I’ll add is, he was a soccer player, so what does he know

Jamie Staton, WGIR sports anchor: Every Tom Brady Super Bowl has been decided by either 3 or 4 points. It’s time for a blowout [then added, “my predictions are always wrong!”]. Patriots 35, Falcons 21.

Inaugural Winter Season

Peterborough Players Present Mass Appeal this Week

Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

The Peterborough Players theater has been winterized since the ’90s, and this season, the company is finally making use of it with its inaugural winter productions. The first, The Santaland Diaries, went up in December; the next, Mass Appeal, runs Feb. 1 through Feb. 11.

“This is something we’ve been kicking around and trying to figure out how to do for a while,” said Keith Stevens, the show’s director. “When we asked people around [here] about what ... the Players could do besides the summer season, they all said they wanted something in the winter, because in February there’s not a lot to do.”

Company members had some reservations, but the success of the Arts on Screen program (which presents shows from the Metropolitan Opera, National Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet on the big screen) hinted it could work; most audience members, they learned, were locals, not summer residents.

“There are day-trippers who come to Peterborough in the summer, but it’s not like people rent a cabin for a week, or at least not nearly as much as in the more touristy regions,” Stevens said.

Many of the Players’ recent developments have also increased the efficiency and ease with which the company can produce shows, from the on-campus housing for out-of-area cast and crew members to the newly constructed storage facility, enabling the Players to save and reuse pieces from past shows.

“It’s not the sort of thing you can market test. You have to do it or not. We thought about it and decided that now we’re in a position to be able to pull it off,” Stevens said.

The Santaland Diaries exceeded expectations in ticket sales, and since then the company has been working on building sets for Mass Appeal and the final show of the winter season, Steel Magnolias, which runs Feb. 15 through Feb. 26. Summer plays happen with 25 or more cast and crew members. Right now, there are six. As such, design had to be strategic; the plays chosen required small casts and unit sets.

Mass Appeal by Bill. C. Davis is a two-character play that ran on Broadway from 1981 to 1982. It focuses on the relationship between Father Tim Farley (played by Artistic Director Gus Kaikkonen), an established priest in an affluent suburban parish, and an idealistic young seminarian, Mark Dolan (played by Adam Sowers), who challenges the elder’s humorous sermons and some long-held traditions of the Church.

Stevens said he likes the story because it’s universal.

“In Mass Appeal, you have an established person in their field and a young, fiery person who wants to be in that field,” Stevens said. “This could be any business, any relationship, and that’s what I find interesting and fascinating about it.”

Kaikkonen said he thinks the story is surprising and relevant.

“I think it’s a really good play. It’s a surprising play. I don’t think anybody has a clue where the play is going when they start watching,” Kaikkonen said via phone. “I do think people will find echoes of our current situation in the country in this play. … It’s amazing how suddenly a piece of art means something else against the background of current events.”

Mass Appeal

Where: Peterborough Players Theater, 55 Hadley Road, Peterborough
When: Feb. 1 through Feb. 11; check website for times
Admission: $39
Contact: peterboroughplayers.org, 924-7585

Stories Brought To Life

Story Pirates Perform In Concord

Written By Matt Ingersol (listings@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

The Story Pirates may be adults, but the interactive stories — with names like “The Fish vs. My Brother” — that they’ll be performing when they come to Concord Feb. 8 are all the work of kids.

The “pirates” are professional actors and musicians who perform original sketch comedy shows and musicals using stories written by elementary school kids. The Harlem, N.Y.-based group has performed at hundreds of schools and performing arts centers across the country, and they’re making a stop in the Granite State for the first time as part of their national tour.

They will appear at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m.

“The general concept behind Story Pirates is that we want to celebrate the words and ideas of young people, and that’s what we put out into the world,” Producing Director Jeremy Basescu said. “We always try to make the whole thing feel like a Broadway show that is in the voice of kids who wrote the stories.”

Basescu said the actors will perform a series of five or six “greatest hits” shows selected from tens of thousands of pre-rehearsed stories submitted by kids over the years since 2003.

But each show also includes a segment at the end in which they perform something the kids in the audience come up with on the spot, and each of the skits usually actively engages the audience in some way.
“Some will have audience members actually yelling out at the characters to get them to do something,” he said, “and with others, some of our actors will run into the audience. … Some [shows] will vary from straight physical comedy to almost an entirely musical number.”

The improvised skit at the end will involve performers asking the audience members to come up with a character and give them traits to build a story around. Basescu said that skit can turn out to be any kind of story, as long as the actors feel they can perform it on stage.

Kids as young as 3 years old through elementary school have enjoyed the performances, Basescu said.

“Basically any child with enough sense of how a story works [enjoys them],” he said. “Obviously as kids get older, they’re more likely to pick out the jokes and the physical comedy.”

Favorite performances have included “The Fish vs. My Brother,” which Basescu said is about a girl who is trying to teach her little brother how to feed their pet fish but ends up banishing him from doing so when he does all the wrong things.

“In this case, you’d be getting the audience involved on one character’s side, as the girl is trying to get the audience to help her from preventing the brother from feeding the fish,” he said.

Basescu said dramatic moments will be built up during each show before coming to a big conclusion at the end that is usually musical in nature.

If you can’t make the show, Story Pirates has a free podcast, where stories are available to listen to through Sirius XM radio or by downloading on iTunes. They also frequently go on tour to promote children’s books.

Story Pirates

When: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 10 a.m.
Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord
Cost: $7
Visit: storypirates.org

Positive Energy

Winter Psychic Fair Returns To Nashua

Written By Matt Ingersol (listings@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

You might be looking for spiritual guidance, or you might be looking for crystal jewelry — you can find both at the Winter Psychic Fair in Nashua, says event organizer Angie D’Anjou.

The sixth annual event will include vendors selling unique jewelry, arts and crafts and more, plus readings from one of eight holistic healers. It’s happening Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hampton Inn and is free to attend, though readings are $25. But anyone interested in stopping by to check out the vendors can do so without having to participate in a reading.

“It’s a nice balance to come to see the art and the holistic aspects of [the event],” D’Anjou said. “It’s not something that is hokey pokey or that will doom and gloom you. … We always have people who come for real spiritual guidance but then also people who are just looking for something to do and to get out of the winter blues.”

Visitors can come to the fair any time for a reading, and D’Anjou said the craft and jewelry vendors will be on hand throughout the day as well. Some will be selling products, while others will create their own jewelry on site.

One local vendor is Lisa’s Wire Creations, which is based in Hudson. D’Anjou said owner Lisa Lanfair wraps crystals with wires to make jewelry pieces.

“The designs come to her, and all her pieces are very unique,” she said. “She’s never making the same pattern over and over again.”

Pyramid Creations in Derry, which works with orgonite crystals and other materials, is also expected to appear at the fair. New this year will be Boston-based metal sculptor Eric Harty of 2nd Chance Metal Art.
“He uses art to make sculptures out of trash metals, so that will be a bit of a different thing,” D’Anjou said.

Essential oils that focus on a balance of physical and emotional wellness will be for sale as well.

Visitors will get the chance to win an hourly door prize. D’Anjou said you can sign up at the door and a name will be called each hour at random.

“[The prizes] usually have something to do with a holiday that might be near, so in this case it will be Valentine’s Day,” she said. “Sometimes one of the vendors will offer a prize, so it could be a small piece of jewelry or something like that.”

D’Anjou said a larger event she is planning in April for Earth Day weekend at the Courtyard Marriott Event Center in Nashua — the first annual Web of Light Expo — will also focus on learning about holistic healing services.

“[These events] are all about allowing people the opportunity to see what spiritual guidance is all about,” she said. “We also hope they give people a nice day to learn about what the vendors do and to promote the ones that are from the area.”

6th Annual Winter Psychic Fair

When: Saturday, Feb. 4, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Hampton Inn, 407 Amherst St., Nashua
Cost: Free admission; $25 fee for readings
Visit: lovinglifeexpo.com

Love Bites

Find Special Eats For Valentine's Day

Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

Here are a few of the places offering special menus, prix fixe meals, beer and wine pairings and more for Valentine’s Day. Seats fill up fast, so be sure to call for reservations ahead of time. If you know of another place offering Valentine’s Day food specials, let us know at food@hippopress.com and we’ll include it in next week’s Weekly Dish.

• 110 Grill (27 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, 943-7443, 110grill.com) will serve a special menu on Valentine’s Day from 4 to 10 p.m.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) is taking reservations for Valentine’s Day sweetheart dinners for two. The special menu will include crunchy chicken with broccoli over fettuccini alfredo, tender pastry-stuffed chicken, broiled Maryland crab cakes, grilled center-cut swordfish, prime rib of beef au jus and more.

• Alpine Grove Banquet Facility (19 S. Depot Road, Hollis, 882-9051, alpinegrove.com) will host a Valentine Dinner & Dance on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 5 to 10 p.m., featuring a meal with red fruit and mozzarella salad, roasted tomato and feta orzo pasta, sour cherry chicken with stir-fried vegetables, bacon-wrapped beef Wellington and more, plus black bottom creme brulee and passion fruit sorbet for dessert and a cash bar. Tickets cost $35 per person or $300 for a table of 10. Reservations required by Feb. 6.

• Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) offers a Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two takeout menu for couples who want to enjoy a gourmet meal at home. Choose from three entrees (beef Wellington with Cabernet demi-glace, roasted haddock fillet with seafood Newburg sauce or Dijon rosemary-crusted rack of lamb with pan ju), four wines (pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon or pinot gris) and either a Caesar salad with Parmesan crisps or a Champagne and brie bisque. All meals include potato cakes, roasted tomatoes, rolls, tiramisu and limoncello mascarpone cake. The cost is $59.95. Order by Feb. 9.

• Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano (11 Depot St., Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com) will serve a special six-course dinner on Valentine’s Day accompanied by live music. Dinner hours are 5 to 9 p.m.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a Valentine’s Day dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m., featuring a four-course prix fixe menu with an amuse bouche, various appetizers, salads, entrees including giannone chicken breast, pan-roasted sea scallops, eggplant and roasted tomato crepes, veal loin medallions and more; and desserts including vanilla bean creme brulee, triple citrus sorbet, a chocolate tasting for two and more. The cost is $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Optional extras like a bottle of Champagne or wine delivered to the table, a rose to lay at the place setting and custom flower arrangements or centerpieces are also available. Reservations are required.

• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road, Derry, 965-7359, birchwoodvineyards.com) will host Valentine’s Day at the Vineyard on Friday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour and four-course dinner. The menu features arugula and yuzu salad, bronzed sea scallops, filet mignon and molten chocolate lava cake. The cost is $65 and includes tax and gratuity. Purchase tickets online.

• The Bistro at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com) will serve a special Valentine’s menu with wine pairings from Friday, Feb. 10, through Tuesday, Feb. 14, with expanded hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The menu features beet carpaccio, green lentil soup, lobster bolognese, veal porterhouse, tenderloin oscar, free-range chicken breast, red velvet heart cake, a French macaroon assortment and wine pairing flights. Reservations are recommended.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will serve its regular menu and Valentine’s specials on Monday, Feb. 13, and Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 4 to 9 p.m.

• Cask & Vine (1½ E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, caskandvine.com) will serve Valentine’s Day dinner with seatings at 4:30 or 5 to 7 p.m., and 7:30 to 10 p.m. Reservations are required.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) offers a two-night Chocolate Lover’s Weekend from Friday, Feb. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 12, which includes a wine and cheese social hour with house-made chocolate truffles, chocolate cocktails and desserts, breakfast with Belgian hot chocolate and other chocolate treats, a chocolate cooking class, a four-course wine-pairing dinner and a chocolate gift to take home. The package costs $650 per couple, plus tax and gratuities.

• Copper Beech Winery (146 Londonderry Turnpike, Building 3, Unit 23, 400-2595, copperbeechwinery.com) will host a wine tasting and cupcake pairing with Queen City Cupcakes of Manchester on Saturday, Feb. 11. More details to come at facebook.com/CopperBeechWinery.

• Copper Door (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoorrestaurant.com) is taking reservations for a prix fixe Valentine’s Day dinner, served in lieu of the regular dinner menu, on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The menu features soups and salads like fresh berry salad and crab bisque; small plates and snacks like lobster tartlet and chicken rangoon; entrees including filet mignon, ginger haddock, coffee-rubbed pork loin, macadamia-crusted short rib, lobster ravioli and jumbo seared scallops; and desserts including almond and chocolate creme brulee, red velvet cupcake and chocolate fondue.

• Cotton (75 Arms St., Manchester, 622-5488, cottonfood.com) will serve Valentine’s food and drink specials from Friday, Feb. 10, through Tuesday, Feb. 14. Early reservations are recommended.

• The Cozy Tea Cart (104 Route 13, Brookline, 249-9111, thecozyteacart.com) will have a Valentine’s afternoon tea on Sunday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost is $34.95 per person, including tax and gratuity. Registration is required.

• Epoch Restaurant & Bar (90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762, epochrestaurant.com) will serve a special four-course prix fixe meal on Valentine’s Day from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The cost is $65, or $90 for a dinner with wine pairings. Call to reserve.

• The Farmer’s Dinner (thefarmersdinner.com, info@thefarmersdinner.com) will present Love at First Bite, a farm-to-table Valentine’s dinner, on Sunday, Feb. 12, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., at North End Bistro (1361 Elm St., Manchester). The seven-course menu will feature salmon rose and hummus, an oyster flight, seared torchon of foie gras, smokey mirrors, steak picasso and shades of chocolate. Tickets cost $69.99. Purchase online.

• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) will serve its regular menu and specials from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Flag Hill Winery & Distillery (297 N. River Road, Route 155, Lee, flaghill.com) will have a Valentine’s dinner on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m., featuring a multi-course menu with maple bourbon bacon-wrapped scallops, Caesar salad, a choice of bacon-wrapped filet or lobster macaroni and cheese, and a dessert, along with wine and spirit pairings. Tickets cost $65 per person. Reservations are required.

• The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com) will serve Valentine’s dinner specials all week including starters like red wine and sweet potato soup, oysters on the half shell and strawberry and spinach salad; entrees like seafood paella, bacon and three cheese lasagna and honey-lime chicken; a raspberry amour tarte for two for dessert, and chocolate milk stout.

• Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com) will host “It’s Amore!,” a Valentine’s wine pairing, on Sunday, Feb. 12, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., and from 3 to 5 p.m. The Vineyard will debut its first rose wine, called Amore. Wines will be paired with cheese, gelato and black and white petit fours including royal chocolate, carrot cake, coffee liqueur, French vanilla coffee, brownies in triple chocolate and cookies ‘n’ cream, and bonbons in white almond and milk chocolate. A special musical guest will be featured. Tickets cost $39. Purchase online.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House (62 Lowell St., Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will have special festivities from Friday, Feb. 10, through Tuesday, Feb. 14, including live Brazilian music on Friday and Saturday, a brunch buffet (10 a.m.) and live jazz music on Sunday, $6 martinis on Monday, and more live jazz music on Tuesday. Dinner starts at 4 p.m. each night.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; Pennichuck Square, Merrimack, 883-7333; 270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323, giorgios.com) will serve Valentine’s specials in addition to the regular menu from Thursday, Feb. 9, through Tuesday, Feb. 14. On Valentine’s Day, there will also be a special four-course prix fixe menu with appetizers, soups and salads, four entree options and dessert for $39.99 per person. Items on the special menu can also be purchased a la carte. Dinner hours are Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.; Sunday all day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Monday from 4 to 9 p.m., and extended hours on Valentine’s Day from 4 to 10 p.m.

• The Grazing Room at Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a chef’s Valentine menu on Friday, Feb. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 12, Tuesday, Feb. 14, and Wednesday, Feb. 15. Seatings are available from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

• Hanover Street Chophouse (149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com) is taking reservations for its four-course Valentine’s Day dinner. The menu features multiple appetizer, soup and salad, entree and dessert options. The cost is $195 per couple. Dinner hours are 5 to 9:30 p.m. Reserve early.

• Highland Wine Merchants will have a Valentine’s wine tasting on Friday, Feb. 10, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester).

• Hooked Seafood Restaurant and Ignite Bar & Grille (110 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-1189; 100 Hanover St., 644-0064, hookedonignite.com) are both taking reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner which will feature specials with Champagne, roses and balloons alongside its regular menu.

• IncrediBREW (112 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-2477, incredibrew.com) will host a couples wine tasting, “The Romance of Wine,” on Valentine’s Day from 6 to 8 p.m. Couples will enjoy a wine flight and hors d’oeuvres and will take home a bottle of chocolate raspberry port. The cost is $30 per couple. Space is limited, and registration is required.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurant.com) is taking reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner. Entree options include prime rib, grilled duck breast, maple salmon, a vegetable dish and more, and each comes with a choice of appetizer, salad, potato-based side, vegetable side and dessert.

• Mint Bistro (1105 Elm St., Manchester, 625-6468, mintbistronh.com) will serve its regular menu and specials, including shareable specials, on Valentine’s Day from 4 to 10 p.m.

• Molly’s Tavern and Restaurant (35 Mont Vernon Road, New Boston, 487-1362, facebook.com/MollysTavernAndRestaurant) is taking reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner, when a special menu will be served. The menu will feature chocolate-covered strawberries and Champagne, raw oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, prime rib, swordfish and gorgonzola-stuffed chicken.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) is accepting reservations for Valentine’s dinner from Friday, Feb. 10, through Tuesday, Feb. 14. Serving hours are Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m., and Sunday through Tuesday from 4 to 9 p.m.

• O Steaks and Seafood (11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com) will serve its regular menu and some Valentine’s specials. Lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner hours are 5 to 9 p.m.

• Pasquale’s Ristorante (143 Raymond Road, Candia, 483-5005; 87 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 434-3093, pasqualeristorantenh.com) will serve a special menu on Valentine’s Day at both locations. Reservations are required.

• Piccola Italia Ristorante (815 Elm St., Manchester, 606-5100, piccolaitalianh.com) will offer menu specials on Valentine’s Day during regular hours, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, 404-0751, facebook.com/pipedreambrewing) is teaming up with Londonderry restaurant Harold Square to host a five-course Sweetheart Dinner Pairing on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. The menu features grilled chorizo-wrapped shrimp with On Island Time IPA; strawberry-infused watermelon and goat cheese salad with Mango IPA; asparagus and braised pork belly with Bombshell Brown Ale; seared short rib and mushroom ragout with West to East IPA; and chocolate-dipped strawberry beignet with Coffee Coconut Porter. Tickets cost $60 per person. Space is limited, and registration is required.

• The Puritan Backroom (245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com) will have Valentine’s Day specials during regular hours, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• The Quill Restaurant at Southern New Hampshire University (2500 N. River Road, Manchester, 629-4608, snhu.edu/restaurant) will serve a Valentine’s Day romantic Italian dinner at 6 p.m. The menu features appetizers like squash ravioli, fried artichoke hearts and sauteed oysters; a variety of salads and entrees including sauteed boneless chicken breast, coffee-brined and -rubbed roasted pork loin, sole and truffled mac and cheese. The meal costs $35.

• The Red Blazer (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) will offer a special dinner menu on Valentine’s Day from 4 to 10 p.m.

• Restaurant Tek-Nique (170 Rt. 101, Bedford, 488-5629, restaurantteknique.com) will serve a 6-course choice menu and glass of sparkling wine on Valentine’s Day from 4 to 9 p.m. The cost is $100 per person. Wine flights will also be available for $30 per person. Call for reservations.

• Roots Cafe at Robie’s Country Store (9 Riverside St., Hooksett, 485-7761, rootsatrobies.com) will serve a Valentine’s farm-to-table dinner on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. The four-course menu will include brie bites and jam, local mussels, salad served in endive cups with pomegranate, crab and avocado; seared salmon with goat cheese risotto and beet puree, braised local short ribs, mashed potatoes, white chocolate-covered cherry, chocolate bark and vegan coconut ice cream. The meal costs $45 per person. Reservations are required.

• Surf (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com) is accepting reservations for Valentine’s Day, when it will serve a special menu from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

• Tuscan Kitchen (67 Main St., Salem, 952-4875, tuscanbrands.com) will serve its regular menu and specials from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Take A Tasty Tour

Guided Day Trip Visits Local Wineries & Chocolate Makers

Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

Whether you’re unfamiliar with the wineries and chocolate makers in the area or you’re curious about how your favorite local wines or chocolates are made, you can get a closer look during the Wine and Chocolate Tour of Southern New Hampshire, the next of which is happening Saturday, Feb. 11.

“Since I do this for a living, I go to all these different places all over the country,” said Tammy Downing, tour director and owner of Out of the Box Tours, which is based in Manchester and hosts the Wine and Chocolate Tour. “But I live in southern New Hampshire, so I wanted to bring a tour here, too. You don’t always appreciate what is in your own backyard, but we have a lot to offer here.”

The tour will launch at 11 a.m., from the parking lot near Whole Foods Market in Bedford. It lasts around six hours, depending on how long the tourists stay at each stop. It usually includes four to six stops.

Downing said she tries to keep things fresh by featuring some different stops for each tour, although that’s not always possible since she has to work within the businesses’ availability. The February tour and the next one, on March 11, will both feature the same four stops: Dancing Lion Chocolate in Manchester, Moonlight Meadery in Londonderry, LaBelle Winery in Amherst and Nelson’s Candies in Wilton, visited in that order.

These two tours will be the first to feature Nelson’s, which Downing only recently discovered. Exploring new places, she said, is a big part of what makes the tours fun, both for her and for the tourists.

“I had never heard of Nelson’s until my sister told me, and the reason she knew about them was because she lives around the corner from them,” she said. “Except for places like LaBelle, which everyone drives by on [Route] 101, a lot of these places are ones people have never heard of and didn’t even know existed. But after the tour, people know they’re there and can help support them.”

At each stop, someone from the business may show tourists around the facility, talk about the history of their product and explain how it is made. Then, there will be a chocolate or wine tasting before the group departs. The stop at LaBelle Winery will include time for tourists to grab lunch in the Bistro (not included in tour cost). At the end of the tour, everyone will be transported back to the Bedford parking lot.

Now in her second year hosting the Wine and Chocolate Tour, Downing said the feedback has been very positive and she plans on keeping the tour as one of her primary offerings.

“What is life without chocolate and without wine?” she said. “They are a lot of fun. Put the two together and it’s appealing to the masses.”

Wine & Chocolate Tour of Southern New Hampshire

When: Saturdays, Feb. 11 and March 11, departs at 11 a.m.
Where: The tour covers southern New Hampshire and will launch from 125 S. River Road, Bedford, in the former Macy’s parking lot up the hill from Whole Foods Market.
Cost: $59; registration is required by the Monday before the tour.
Contact: 660-8427, traveladventureswithtammy.com
Private tours with a minimum of six people can be booked at any time.

Southern Flavors

Mardi Gras Gala Featured Cajun & Creole Inspired Cuisine

Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

Experience a taste of New Orleans with Cajun- and Creole-inspired food at the Mardi Gras Gala, a black-tie-optional event happening Saturday, Feb. 4, that will feature a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, salad and breads, three plated entrees and dessert.

“Generally speaking, at the restaurants that I have been to over the years, I’ve never seen any Cajun-inspired dishes on their menus other than blackened chicken or fish,” said Rosemary Hendrickx, director of development operations for Catholic Charities New Hampshire, which is hosting the event. “This event is really inspired by what they have in New Orleans. The food is very unique for this area, and especially unique for a gala.”

The event will be held at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

The evening will begin with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres, including beer-poached Creole shrimp with orange mustard horseradish; fried oysters with Cajun mustard aioli; blue crab a la Remick in a puff pastry; and spinach artichoke dip in a phyllo cup.

Dinner will start with a salade nicoise, which has butter lettuce, tomato, French green beans, cooked egg and olives with lemon mustard vinaigrette; and breads like warm sweet potato biscuits and corn muffins, served with honey butter.

Hendrickx said the Grappone Conference Center and many other function venues don’t typically deviate from their standard catering menus for large events, but the Grappone makes an exception for the Mardi Gras Gala and contributes its own ingredients to the dinner; the lettuce for the salad is sourced from the center’s onsite hydroponic garden, and the honey butter for the bread is made from honey produced at the center’s onsite bee hives.

“The Grappone has been extremely generous and is always excited to go off of their standard menu for this event,” Hendrickx said. “Very often, they incorporate some [of the Mardi Gras dishes] into their standard menu because they really like what we come up with.”

Following the salade nicoise and bread course will be the main entree. Guests can choose (in advance at the time of their ticket purchase) from three options: an 8-ounce filet mignon with Madeira mushroom sauce, potato gratin and green beans or roasted winter squash; bourbon-molasses glazed salmon filet served on garlic herb risotto with green beans; and mushroom ravioli and spinach-ricotta ravioli with creamy Parmesan sauce, sun-dried tomato pesto garnish, green beans and roasted winter squash.

After dinner, a dessert of caramel-filled chocolate gato (cake) with a whipped cream rosette will be served.

The Mardi Gras Gala has a different menu every year, developed by committee chairman Richard Bunker, whom Hendrickx said “has an educated palate” and is perfectly suited for the job.

“He’s very well-traveled. He’s been to New Orleans several times,” she said, “and he himself is an excellent cook. He really knows how to put food together.”

In addition to dinner, the event will have a silent auction with dining packages, overnight stays and more, and a live auction with trips to Hawaii, Santa Fe and New Orleans, and a chance to create and name an ice cream flavor that will be featured at The Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester for 30 days.

There will be a “spin the wheel” game with prizes like gift cards and items donated by local businesses; raffles, live jazz music, and a DJ and dancing after dinner.

Catholic Charities NH Mardi Gras Gala

When: Saturday, Feb. 4, 6 p.m.
Where: Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Ave., Concord
Cost: Tickets are $100 per person. Contact Hannah at 663-0213 for more information and ticket availability.
Visit: cc-nh.org/mardigras

Weekly Music Review

Lilac Part 1 by ThiDaniel & The Commandments According to SCAC by Slim Cessna's Auto Club

Written By Eric Saeger (news@hippopress.com)

Images: Album Artwork

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, The Commandments According to SCAC (Scacunincorporated Records)

For 20 years now, this Denver oddity has been making picket-fence-toothed alt-hillbilly Americana that was ahead of its time, stuff that would have made great background music for Carnivale and True Blood and should absolutely be an integral part of Preacher. Their “southern gothic” trip of this Alternative Tentacles alumnus, visualized through a dark morass of punky religious imagery, is off-putting enough, while any last hope of gracing the Grand Ole Opry is instantly negated by lyrics that fixate on alcohol, violence and all that fun stuff. On this, their 10th (or 15th, whatever it is, after all the comps and live records, etc.), we receive neatly enumerated commandments, “Commandment 1” moving deftly through sounds that evoke Melvins mud, David Byrne freakouts, and, well, loping Amos Lee prettiness. “Commandment 3” gives us drive-by wagon-train ambiance that weds Carolina Chocolate Drops to the Eels, for lack of something handier to scribble down here — everything’s actually quite listenable, organic and not off-putting (that much).

Grade: A

ThiDaniel, Lilac Part 1 (self-released)

Billed as the first half of an “EP” that will actually be full LP if you want to be a jerk about it, this five-songer is a nicely rounded introduction to this multi-ethnic R&B singer, a Berklee dropout (all together now: isn’t everyone?) who’s only been duking it out in the L.A. trenches for two years. It was a fast-moving two years, though, owing to his outgoing personality, which he leveraged to get into a lot of studios and eventually under the wing of Tricky Stewart (producer of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” among others). I usually can’t freaking tolerate bling-pop at all, but this guy’s voice is like a male version of Neneh Cherry’s in a way, lots of sultry but unhurried and deeply genuine smoke wafting off these clever, chill beats, which walk a line between old-school Keith Sweat pining and trip-hop, all with some nice curveballs, including euro-trance, unless I’m hearing things (“Kill Pride”). More than likely you’ve already heard the feel-good home-run single “Purple,” the least daring thing on here. Don’t be surprised if this dude is Stewart’s next Frank Ocean.

Grade: A

Romance Schmomance

Michael & Sarah Bennett Get Real

Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

Romance, passion — what a load of crap.

So say father-daughter author team Michael and Sarah Bennett in their new book, F*** Love: One Shrink’s Sensible Advice for Finding a Lasting Relationship, published Jan. 31 by Simon & Schuster, which they talk about at Gibson’s Bookstore Saturday, Feb. 4, at 4 p.m.

It’s the follow-up to their first collaboration, F*** Feelings: One Shrink’s Practical Advice for Managing All Life’s Impossible Problems, published in September 2015. Michael Bennett, a veteran psychiatrist and APA Distinguished Fellow educated at Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, provided the expertise, and Sarah Bennett, a comedy writer who spent two years working for the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York, edited his advice and translated it to the page.

This first book garnered positive reception and opened the door for more book possibilities.

“We thought we could take it further in one direction and address relationships, particularly at the way you’d search for a partner,” Michael Bennett said via phone.

F*** Love argues that finding a partner should be more like a business deal than a candlelight dinner, and it focuses on eight traits that people tend to seek out in relationships: charisma, beauty, chemistry, communication, a sense of humor, good family, intelligence and wealth. In the book, the Bennetts point out the influence of these traits and how to overcome being blinded by them.

“Almost any quality you look at, you have to be careful about it. There’s no one single quality that should eliminate all doubt,” Michael Bennett said. “You might be lonely, and you might be horny, but if you let your feelings take over, including your love of romance, you’re likely to make bad choices. … If people could be more disciplined and pragmatic in the beginning, they could save themselves so much trouble.”

Michael Bennett lives in Boston with his wife, and Sarah Bennett lives in New York, but they both frequent New Hampshire regularly. They wrote the book via phone calls and emails.

The partnership worked because of how well they know each other. Sarah Bennett grew up listening to her parents talk about work (both are in the same field) and understands her father’s dark humor, even if it doesn’t come across on the first draft. She’s the one responsible for the flow charts and Cosmo-like quizzes dispersed throughout the pages.

Some of the topics: Where is your partner on the charisma scale? Should you go out with this person? And, is laughter distracting you from the warning signs?

“They’re tongue-in-cheek and kind of ridiculous but are meant to help people laugh and learn something at the same time,” she said.

They’d like to work on another book together, maybe aimed at kids, as Michael Bennett was trained as a child psychiatrist and Sarah Bennett said she’s still a kid at heart. In the meantime, they’re eager to hear responses to F*** Love — particularly this time of year.

“People really love books about relationship. Having this released on Valentine’s Day is our little fun joke — though the book is not a joke,” Sarah Bennett said.

Michael & Sarah Bennett Talk About F*** Love

Where: Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord
When: Saturday, Feb. 4, at 4 p.m.
Contact: gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562