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Food: Downtown Brews
FEATURED FOOD
Downtown Brews
First Craft Brewery Opens in Downtown Concord
Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Downtown Concord just welcomed its first microbrewery thanks to a married couple from Hopkinton with a passion for craft beer.
Dennis Molnar and Beth Mayland have been homebrewing together for years and have traveled just to explore new microbreweries and brewpubs. Throughout the course of their visits, particularly to breweries in a downtown setting, it occurred to them that their neighboring city of Concord was lacking a brewery in the downtown area.
“It became our vision to bring a microbrewery there,” Molnar said. “Our goal isn’t to sell six-packs at a supermarket. It’s to sell kegs to downtown restaurants and bars and have a tasting room here where people can come taste our beer first, then go to a restaurant for a full pint and a meal.”
Finding a downtown location that could accommodate bulky brewing equipment, adequate storage space and an onsite tasting room wasn’t easy, but in March of last year, after months of looking, they settled on a mill building on Storrs Street just a couple blocks off North Main Street. On Jan. 20 they opened the doors to Concord Craft Brewing Co.
The front section of the building is occupied by the tasting room, which features a 16-foot bar seating up to 23 people and will eventually have eight beers on tap. The tasting room, as well as a brewery retail store, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. Behind it sits the 15-barrel, steam-powered brewery, of which there are guided tours at 3 p.m. every day that the tasting room is open.
“Of the people who have come in so far, one of the first things I’ve heard them say is, ‘Concord has needed something like this,’” Molnar said. “People have been really excited about it.”
By two weeks after its opening, the brewery had five beers on the lineup: a flagship traditional English IPA, a Kolsch German golden ale, a classic porter, a red ale and a session IPA.
Rather than specializing in a certain style of beer, Molnar said the brewery’s “style” is to offer a variety of beers that are “balanced — full-flavored, but not over the top.”
“We try to brew without being too one-dimensional,” he said. “Beer drinkers have very different tastes, so our goal is to make a broad range of styles with something that every beer drinker will like.”
Beyond that, he said, the brewery’s driving focus is a commitment to freshness. It’s one of the biggest reasons he and Mayland were adamant about opening the brewery in downtown; brewing in small batches, partnering with neighboring bars and restaurants and having an accessible, on-site tasting room at the brewery helps to reduce the amount of time between when the beer leaves the tanks and when it’s poured into the glass.
“A lot of people just pick up a six-pack sitting on a shelf … but beer is perishable,” Molnar said. “They say it’s best consumed within three to six months, but to be honest, it’s best on the day it’s brewed. It changes every day after that. People are always surprised at how crisp and clean the flavors are when they try a beer that’s fresh.”
Concord Craft Brewing Co. beers are available in various forms at the brewery store, on tap in the tasting room, at select retail stores and at a growing number of bars and restaurants in downtown Concord. Beer release dates and a list of establishments where the beers can be found are posted on the brewery website.
Concord Craft Brewing Co.
Where: 117 Storrs St., Concord
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 3 to 6 p.m.
Contact: 856-7625, concordcraftbrewing.com
News: Manchester Crime Stats
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Manchester Crime Stats
Overall Crime Down but Violent Crime Continues To Climb
Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard released the department’s preliminary 2016 crime statistics on Feb. 1. They show overall crime went down by 21 percent from 2015 to the lowest levels since at least 2008. But Willard is troubled by the trend of increasing violent crimes in the city, as well as a rise in gun-related crimes, which appear to be driven by drugs.
Violent Crime
Nearly every category of major Part 1 crimes tracked by police and compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation saw decreases in the Queen City last year. One notable exception is aggravated assaults — that violent crime category saw a 9-percent increase over the year before.
Aggravated assault in New Hampshire includes crimes that cause serious bodily harm as well as hate crimes, domestic violence and choking.
There were 397 aggravated assaults in 2015 and 434 in 2016. This is a continuation of a trend; there were 349 in 2014.
Willard suspects the increase is at least partly due to changes in state law that include more domestic violence and strangulation cases in the aggravated assault category. He also pointed to proactive efforts by the department’s domestic violence unit and violence against women initiative.
About 40 percent of the assaults are domestic cases, which is similar to 38 percent in 2015. Willard said 16 percent are by acquaintances and 18 percent are by strangers.
Aggravated assaults can include purse-snatching, pushing a loss prevention officer at a store while running out the door or even firing a gun straight up into the air.
“We had a group of teenagers this past summer who were riding their bikes up to people who were on their cell phones and stealing their cell phones. That technically is an aggravated assault,” Willard said.
Robberies, which count as a violent crime, leveled off with only about a dozen fewer cases, totaling 210 in 2016. Willard said he’s disappointed his historical-data-driven policing models didn’t push that number down further.
He says the increase in violent crime and decrease in property crime is part of a national trend and Manchester’s numbers are more positive than the national numbers.
“The violent crime numbers are still unacceptable. In 2017, we’re going to do everything we can do drive those numbers down,” Willard said.
Drug & Gun Crimes
Unlike the more serious Part 1 crimes like aggravated assault and burglary, drug and weapon offenses are tracked under the Part 2 crime category.
While the exact Part 2 crime stats are not yet available, information released by police showed drug arrests were up in 2016 to 409, compared to 348 in 2015. And gun crimes seemed to be on the rise between these two years, according to Willard.
The number of guns seized went from 24 in 2015 to 47 in 2016. To respond to this, Willard assigned a detective to be embedded with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, dedicated to investigating only gun crimes.
Manchester police noted a correlation between a rise in gun crimes and a rise in overdoses over the past six years.
Opioids seized by police reflect a shift in the drugs hitting the streets. Heroin was the majority over fentanyl in 2015 when measured by grams. That flipped in 2016. And since fentanyl is far more powerful than heroin, one gram of it doesn’t equate to a gram of heroin.
Manchester police seized nearly 6,800 grams of fentanyl last year and more than 5,400 grams of heroin.
“And that’s not taking into account the amount of drugs being seized by our task force officers who are embedded with the DEA and the FBI,” Willard said.
A new feature of the drug stats released by Manchester police this year was the inclusion of hotspot maps showing the parts of the city that experienced the most drug crimes, drug arrests, gun crimes, gun arrests and overdoses.
It shows the most troubled areas related to drug crimes are parts of the East Side inner city centered on Lake Avenue and Spruce Street to as far north as Prospect Street and as far south as Valley Street. The worst parts of the West Side appear to be centered around West High School.
Willard said there has long been a correlation of crime and poverty in these quarters.
“There’s nothing surprising about it. There are a lot of societal factors that will go into this: lower rents, a lot of tenement buildings, easy access to social services. It’s usually all intertwined,” Willard said.
Property Crime
All Part 1 property crimes decreased, with burglaries seeing the steepest decline of 32 percent, from 676 cases to 463, less than half of the record high seen in 2013.
Willard credits that success to a shift in how those cases were being investigated. The key has been aggressive fingerprinting at each burglarized residence and quickly arresting suspects with matching prints.
He said they arrested 20 people in 2016 using that model. And since each burglar tends to be a repeat offender, that has an exponential effect on the crime stats.
“When you take 20 individuals off the street [who were] doing burglaries, I can only imagine how many burglaries it’s also preventing,” Willard said.
Arts: Up Your Flower Game *
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Up Your Flower Game
Tips To Make A Personalized Arrangement
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Floral arrangements and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand, but you don’t have to rely on what’s packaged at the supermarket (or gift store, or flower shop) for your special someone.
The Hippo talked with Judy Pyszka from Chalifour’s Flowers of Manchester and Cara Sandford of Apotheca Flower Shoppe in Goffstown about how to make your own personal arrangement, from choosing colors and textures to maintaining your florals so they last past Feb. 14.
Why Flowers
Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest holidays for florists each year, and as such, most shops will expand their selections dramatically to fill the need.
Sandford said she thinks flowers are so popular this time of year because they express a message through various senses.
“Flowers are tangible, and yet they emote so much expression. They’re physical — you can touch them, and you can smell them, and they’re beautiful,” Sandford said. “It’s an all-encompassing expression.”
Choosing Flowers
Red roses mean “I love you.” Yellow means “friendship.” Pink means “fun and happiness,” lavender means “love at first sight,” and orange or peach convey enthusiasm or desire.
At least, these are Chalifour’s definitions; Pyszka said you can find many interpretations, and the colors don’t matter quite as much as how you arrange them.
“The different textures in the arrangement is really what adds to it,” Pyszka said.
Most shops offer custom arrangements to incorporate certain colors or themes, but many also offer the opportunity for customers to pick their own combinations. Chalifour’s has a whole fridge full of loose flowers, and so does Apotheca.
“People have the option to pick individual stems, and I think people like having that kind of freedom, to use the flower selection like an art project,” Sandford said. “People have the option of using us to guide them through their decisions, or they can just pick whatever they want.”
Putting it Together
Trending, Sandford said, are looser, bohemian arrangements.
“It’s starting to catch on in New Hampshire, but I think we’re a little slower than areas closer to the city,” Sandford said.
More important than what you choose is how and when you put it together. Stems should be back in water within one hour of purchasing.
“It’s not something you can just leave in your car as you go back into work. It’s a fresh product,” Pyszka said.
During a recent visit, Pyszka was crafting a Valentine’s Day-themed arrangement full of greens (like seeded eucalyptus, salal and lemon leaf) and a variety of pink and red flowers. Before adding them to the vase, she wrapped lily grass around the bottom (which would hide the stems) and filled it to the top with water. She formed a grid with thin waterproof tape at the vase’s ridge to keep things in place and added the rest of the greens.
“The greenery gives it some fullness, depending on the type of container you’re working in,” Pyszka said “The most important thing about them is that they’re going to complement the flowers. Greens have really nice textures.”
After that, in went the blossoms — roses, gerbera daisies, alstroemerias, stocks, hydrangeas, caspias and lilies.
“One other trick is to work in odds,” Pyszka said, snipping the stems and excess foliage before adding each flower to the arrangement. “Visually, it’s more pleasing to the eye for this type of design.”
Your flower choices might be influenced by the kind of vase you want to put them in — if you have a tall, linear vase, you want flowers to match. In general, arrangements should be one and a half times taller than the vase.
“If your container is six inches tall, then you want to make it nine inches taller than the container,” Pyszka said.
After that, it’s trial and error.
“There’s no real pattern to arranging,” Pyszka said. “Floral arranging is an art.”
Make it Last
You can expect flowers to last between five days and a week if you care for them, changing water daily and snipping the ends regularly.
“When you put your flowers in water, bacteria starts to build, and that is going to block where it is drinking the water. So when you give it a cut, it gives it a new, clean drinking area,” Pyszka said.
She advised using a straight blade and cutting at an angle — scissors tend to squish the ends, though woody stems might require snips instead.
In addition, keep arrangements away from heat sources.
“Don’t put them on a TV. If you have sunlight coming in through the window, don’t put them there; it will deteriorate your flower by building bacteria in the water,” Pyszka said.
Make Your Own Bouquet
Here are some local venues where you can buy flowers by the stem to make your own arrangement. Call each for details.
• Anne’s Florals & Gifts, 142 Lowell Road, Hudson, 889-9903, annesfloralsgifts.com
• Apotheca, 24 Main St., Goffstown, 497-4940, apothecaflowershoppe.com
• Backmann Florist, 15 W. Broadway, Derry, 432-2371, backmannflorist.com
• Celeste’s Flower Barn, 300 Varney St., Manchester, 623-5835, celesteflowerbarn.com
• Chalifour’s Flowers, 46 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8844, chalifours.com
• Cheryl’s Ultimate Bouquet Flower Shop, 64 Freetown Road, Raymond, 895-2599
• Cobblestone Design Company, 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 228-5980, cobblestoneflorist.com
• Cole Gardens, 430 Loudon Road, Concord, 229-0655, colegardens.com
• Collins Flowers, Inc., 9 Main St., Nashua, 882-2723, collinsflowers.com
• Countryside Florist, 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 432-4110, countrysideflorist.biz
• Crystal Orchid Florist, 45 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 627-1925
• Delahunty Nurseries & Florist, 41 Range Road, Windham, 893-7155, delahuntys.com
• Dixieland Florist & Gift Shop, 414 Donald St., Bedford, 669-2998, dixielandflorist.net
• D McLeod Inc., 49 S. State St., Concord, 225-3721, dmflowers.com
• Farm & Flower Market, 15 Webster St., Manchester, 625-6700
• Flower Stop, 187 Elm St., Milford, 12 Main St., Brookline, 732-0004, flowerstopmilfordnh.com
• Ford Flower Co., 83 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-9955, fordflower.com
• Forget Me Not Flowers & Gifts, 1009 Upper City Road, Pittsfield, 435-5111, forgetmenotflowerspittsfield.com
• Fortin Gage Flowers & Gifts, 86 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-3371, fortingage.com
• Harrington Flowers, 539 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-4030, harringtonflowers.com
• J. Stewart’s Flower Shoppe, 224 N. Broadway, Salem, 893-4578, jstewartsflowershoppe.com
• Jacques Flower Shop, 712 Mast Road, Manchester, 625-5155, jacquesflowers.com
• Kreative Flowers & Gifts, 114 Dover Road, Chichester, 961-0188,
• Labow Florist & Gift Shop, 391 Spruce St., Manchester, 627-9592, labowflorist.net
• Leith Flower, Plant & Gift Shop, 100 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 382-8837, leithflowershop.com
• Manchester Flower Studio, 388 Wilson St., Manchester, 669-6060, manchesterflowerstudio.com
• Marshall’s Florist & Gifts, 151 King St., Boscawen, 796-2272
• Nicole’s Greenhouse & Florist, 91 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-8294, nicolesgreenhouseandflorist.com
• Paisley Floral Design Studio, 2107 River Road, Manchester, 493-8386, paisleyfloraldesign.com
• PJ’s Flowers & Weddings, 176 Route 101, Unit B3, Bedford, 471-3411, pjsflowers.net
• Rimmon Heights Florist, 150 Kelley St., Manchester, 935-9485, rimmonheightsflorist.com
• The Garden Party Floral Boutique, 111 Union Square, Milford, 249-9809, gardenparty.florist
• Wisteria Flower Shoppe, 22 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-4600, wisteriaflowershoppe.com
Music: United Nations
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United Nations
Guitar Virtuosos Perform Alone & Together
Written By Michael Witthaus (music@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
A truly unique event, International Guitar Night is a summit of strings, a multicultural meeting of musical minds. Finger-style guitarist Brian Gore launched the event in 2000, as an acoustic concert starring four masters of the instrument playing solo, in duos and as a quartet.
Diversity is a mainstay during the annual tour, and this year’s gathering of luminaries won’t disappoint in that regard. Luca Stricagnoli is an Italian with a percussive playing style, while Chystian Dozza is part of Brazil’s new generation of instrumentalists. Indian-born Debashish Bhattacharya has a sitar-like playing style. Gore is on touring hiatus, so German Lulo Reinhardt, an IGN veteran, will lead the ensemble.
Though Lulo Reinhardt is a grand-nephew of guitar legend Django Reinhardt, he doesn’t play Gypsy jazz, as one might expect. Reinhardt calls his flamenco-based sound Latin Swing.
“My right hand is Gypsy swing, and I play flamenco with a pick instead of fingernails,” he said in a recent Skype interview. “It’s a new style.”
Reinhardt explained that although Spain claims it, flamenco’s roots date back 1,000 years, to the European Gypsy diaspora, a journey that went from India to Egypt, then throughout Europe after the Gypsies split into Sinti and Roma tribes; members of both migrated to Morocco and Spain.
“The music style of the Gypsies changed because of Egypt,” Reinhardt said. “If you listen to flamenco it is like Arabian music ... it has nothing to do with Spanish music.”
Since it all began in India, Reinhardt — descended from the Sinti tribe — is very keen to duet with Bhattacharya.
“Flamenco is exactly Arabian and Indian with the scales,” he said. “This is so interesting for me; especially now playing with this Indian guitarist.”
The two will perform “Ayshi,” a Reinhardt original, and one of Bhattacharya’s songs. Though none of the four guitarists had met one another prior to a single rehearsal on the eve of the first show, all were well-prepared when the tour kicked off mid-January in Canada.
“We just send MP3 songs, then we start learning by doing,” Reinhardt said. “It’s a system ... that always works, every single night. It’s always great. I’m excited.”
Reinhardt first joined IGN for the 10th anniversary tour in 2010, after being contacted three years in advance by a booking agent.
“That was a shock,” he said.
The tour marked a pair of firsts – one for the tour and another for Reinhardt.
“They had never had a Gypsy before ... and I had never played solo, just videos on YouTube,” he said.
When he took up guitar as a youngster, Reinhardt followed the path of his legendary relative, touring Germany with his father’s band, playing rhythm and bass guitar. After 25 years, he craved change.
“I made my own sound, which was not easy in the beginning,” he said. “Everyone thought you’d play Django.”
A moment of epiphany came when an elderly woman, who had met Django and seen him perform in the 1950s, requested “Minor Swing” at a show in Sydney, Australia. When he told her he didn’t play that famous number, she was incredulous. He promised to perform one of the master’s songs that she’d never heard before.
Reinhardt then kicked into a Gypsy swing version of a song of his own, called “Que Pasa.” His trick worked.
“She came to me and said, ‘That’s great! I never heard that song from Django,’” Reinhardt said with a laugh. “I told her, ‘Yeah, that’s my song.’ She took it well.”
International Guitar Night
Starring Lulo Reinhardt, Luca Stricagnoli, Chystian Dozza and Debashish Bhattacharya
When: Friday, Feb 10, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Dana Center, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester
Tickets: $33.75 reserved
Film: Shorts!
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Shorts!
The Oscar Nominated Short Films Hit Area Screens
Written By Amy Diaz (adiaz@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Three of the categories at the 89th Academy Awards on Feb. 26 are for short films — live action, animation and documentaries.
Though lesser-known categories, the shorts make for fun viewing, offering a chance to see a lot of kinds of movies and stories at once.
All three categories of shorts will be available for local viewing starting Friday, Feb. 10, at Red River Theatres in Concord (redrivertheatres.org, running through March 2) and Colonial Theatre in Keene (thecolonial.org, through Feb. 23) as well as at the Music Hall in Portsmouth (themusichall.org; animated on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m., live action on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., documentary on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.).
The live action and animated shorts will also screen at Wilton Town Hall Theater (wiltontownhalltheatre.com) and the Flying Monkey in Plymouth (flyingmonkeynh.com, animated on Feb. 11 and Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m., live action on Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m.), according to shorts.tv. The shorts will also be available online and through VOD starting Feb. 21, according to shorts.tv.
Documentaries
Of the five documentary short nominees, four are accessible right now. 4.1 Miles is at nytimes.com. Joe’s Violin is available at newyorker.com. Extremis and The White Helmets are both on Netflix.
All five documentaries are worth a watch. They are not, I will say, carefree entertainment. All are harrowing in their own ways, but don’t let that scare you away.
4.1 Miles focuses on a ship’s captain whose day regularly involves pulling people out of the sea off a Greek island. Scenes of children being pulled from the ocean and rescuers desperately attempting to revive them are gut-wrenching, as are scenes of the captain occasionally giving in to the emotion of the situation.
Watani: My Homeland (the only doc I had to request a screener for) tells the story of a Syrian family who, after the father is kidnapped and believed killed by ISIS, apply for refugee status in Germany. We watch as the three girls, one son and their (probably) widowed mother go from the stresses of a war zone to peaceful life in Germany.
In The White Helmets, we meet men who have stayed in Syria and made it their mission to save the lives of as many people as possible. The White Helmets come to the scene of a bombed building after an air raid and dig people out of the rubble, sometimes alive, sometimes not.
Joe’s Violin calls to mind a different war and a different refugee situation: a man originally from Poland who purchased a violin in a displaced persons camp after World War II ends up donating it in the present day to a New York City classical music radio station that is gathering instruments for use by area music students. All these decades later, the violin becomes the special prize for a 12-year-old girl from the Bronx who has shown musical promise.
Extremis is the one short not related to war but it does tackle the difficult subject of the end of life. Specifically, how the end of life is handled in intensive care units, where medical intervention can prolong what is technically life but not necessarily improve the person’s outcome or quality of life. The movie really shows you the weight of the struggle, borne by both doctors and family members, of trying to balance the desire not to cause their patient/loved one to suffer unnecessarily while still giving them a chance at recovery.
Animation
In the animated block, four of the five films — Piper, Pearl, Blind Vaysha and Borrowed Time — are relatively short with one longer piece, Pear Cider and Cigarettes. And, as with all animation, just because it’s illustrated doesn’t mean it’s for kids (Pear Cider and Cigarettes definitely is not).
Piper, a Pixar short I first saw before Finding Dory in theaters, is sweet and beautiful but could easily stand out based solely on the way it renders water. I would call it photorealistic except it’s more hyper-photorealistic; it both looks real and shows you facets of the water (how it ebbs and flows on the sand, for example) that you’d never notice in a video of real water. (The film is available for purchase now from some outlets, including via the OnDemand feature on Comcast.)
Pearl is also a charmer. It follows a musician as viewed in his increasingly aging car and his adventures with his daughter, who is a little girl in early frames but quickly grows older (as they do). The film could also be a music video, scored with the song the dad starts singing at the beginning. (This movie I found on YouTube, thanks to an article on Time.com about where to see Oscar nominated films.)
Borrowed Time also features what I’m pretty sure is a father and child, this one in the Old West with the son revisiting one moment he deeply regrets. These movies are all beautiful, though stylistically very different from each other. This one makes particularly nice use of color on the landscape.
Blind Vaysha is a parable about girl born “blind” to the present. She can see the past out of one eye and the future out of the other — so when men come to court her, she can see only a little boy and an old man. The story has a woodcut look to it, which together with the narration gives the movie a grown-up fairy tale quality.
Pear Cider and Cigarettes makes good use of its nearly 35 minutes. It gives us the story of a man’s entertaining but troubled childhood friend. They meet while playing soccer and the narrator ends up trying to help his friend survive a dodgy-sounding liver transplant in China. Pen-and-ink-style drawings also make good spot use of color.
Live Action
This year’s live action shorts are primarily in languages other than English, which can make the live action block feel like you’re attending a mini foreign film festival.
In Timecode, spoken language is actually less important than the language of dance. A security guard at a parking garage is asked to search through security camera footage to find evidence of a minor accident but instead sees her colleague letting out his inner Gene Kelly. Her response is sweet and the movie ends with the perfect bit of dialogue.
Also infused with a bit of sweetness is La Femme et le TGV, a tale about a woman who spends her days in her crumbling bakery but her mornings joyfully waving a flag at the train that speeds by her house. The movie manages to capture romance, humor, wistfulness and surprise.
Sing, which features primarily child characters, is also sweet but has elements that felt slyly political in 2017. Children in a choir manage to both act like children and demonstrate how to deal with unjust authority.
More directly political is Enemis Interieurs (“Enemies Within”), which shows the hoops an Algerian man must jump through to become an official French citizen. Despite living in France for years and considering himself “French,” the citizenship seeker’s meeting with a government official quickly goes from formality to interrogation. The movie does a good job capturing his despair and the quicksand-like course of the conversation.
In Silent Nights, an African refugee struggles with homelessness and racism as he attempts to earn money in Denmark to send back to his family in Ghana. He frequently ends up in a shelter staffed by a Danish woman who has her own troubles (including a mother who drinks herself into a blackout and then sleeps most of the day). Their relationship is interesting to watch develop.
Pop: Green Medicine
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Green Medicine
Florence Williams on The Nature Fix
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Book Cover
It can be hard to make yourself get outside this time of year, but more often than not, you’ll be happy you did.
Florence Williams discusses a variety of the benefits at an upcoming event, part of The Music Hall’s Innovation and Leadership series, promoting her new book, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
The idea for The Nature Fix began in 2012, when Williams moved from the outdoorsy city of Boulder, Colorado, to Washington, D.C., where her husband had taken a job. She’d lived in the Rocky Mountain region more than 20 years and felt disoriented, overwhelmed and had trouble focusing in her new home.
“I really felt like I was experiencing what I’d heard of as Nature Deficit Disorder. It kind of threw me, in terms of my emotional and psychological state of mind and my nervous system. I was having trouble with the noise and feeling upset and anxious,” Williams said via phone.
Was NDD a real thing, she wondered? She got the opportunity to explore the idea, coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, through magazine assignments with Outside Magazine and National Geographic. One of her stories, “This is Your Brain on Nature,” commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, looked at ways people were using the outdoors to boost psychological health around the world, from forest bathing in Japan to wilderness trips in South Korea.
“Researchers believe something really profound happens to our brains after three days in nature — that we can really be helped while recovering from grief or trauma,” she said. “[The assignments] afforded me this great opportunity to find out what was happening in forests and with health policies in places like Japan, South Korea, Finland, Denmark, Scotland and Singapore. Some of those places are pretty far ahead in terms of research, and in terms of this idea, of using nature as medicine.”
For example, in Finland, where many struggle from high rates of depression, alcoholism and suicide, it’s recommended you get five hours of nature a month.
Using nature as medicine or for psychological well-being is not a new idea. The book’s introduction references great minds who did some of their best thinking with fresh air and greenery, like Aristotle, Darwin, Tesla, Einstein, Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir.
“But it’s only been in recent years that we’ve been able to apply new and better technology to [research], things like portable brainwave monitors, brain scanners and big data,” she said. “There are a lot of tools in the toolbox to allow researchers to take this to a new level.”
Williams said her book looks at some of the most recent findings and the people involved — those who are uncovering this data, and those benefitting from it, like vets with PTSD and kids with ADHD.
She realized she was too stringent with her original definition of nature; you don’t need to be on a mountainside to get the positive effects. You could be by the ocean.
“The ocean facilitates a sense of awe, wonder and self-reflection,” she said. “There’s something about the view, the sound and the smell that help open up all our senses.”
And you can still attain benefits by being in the city, through walks outside, no matter the weather, or by looking out your window.
“Even when it’s miserable outside, we still see benefits, especially in things like working with memory, our attention span and our mood,” she said. “You can find great nature in a city park, and there are even beneficial effects from houseplants and pets.”
Williams has been writing about environmental health for ages. She’s a contributing editor to Outside Magazine and her work has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine and National Geographic, among other publications. Her first book, Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, looked at the effects a polluted environment has on breast milk.
Williams thinks the idea of using nature as “medicine” can appeal to most readers, but particularly those living in cities or suburban neighborhoods. She’d love to see the writing and scientific findings inspire change in policies within health, education and planning departments, so that people can find more greenery in their lives.
“We’re busy, and we have all these indoor temptations. But my hope is to kind of remind people that it really is still worthwhile to get outside,” she said.
The Nature Fix
Where: The Music Hall Loft, 131 Congress St., Portsmouth
When: Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
Admission: $41, includes reserved seat, book, bar beverage, author presentation, Q&A and book signing meet-and-greet
Contact: themusichall.org, 436-2400
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Hire A Personal Chef
Hire A Personal Chef
Enjoy A Romantic Meal By Candlelight At Home
Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Instead of going out for a gourmet meal on Valentine’s Day, you could enjoy the same at home — without so much as setting foot in your kitchen.
“I never go out on Valentine’s because it’s always crowded and the food isn’t always good,” said Oonagh Williams, a personal chef and owner of Gluten Free Cooking with Oonagh, based in Merrimack.
Many personal chefs offer their services for special occasions like Valentine’s Day. Having a chef come to your home and make the food that night means you can get exactly what you want, says Gabrielle Leone, the owner and main chef of Olive Branch Personal Chef Service, based in Hampton.
“It’s a very customized service,” Leone said.
Clients work with the personal chefs to narrow down what foods they like and what foods they must avoid. The chef will float a few options by the clients until they settle on the meals they want. Leone said her services always include a three-course meal, with an appetizer, entree and dessert.
Beyond taste and dietary restrictions, Williams suggests thinking ahead when settling on a menu item for Valentine’s Day to account for how you feel afterward.
“If you have too rich a dinner, nothing much is going to happen afterward,” Williams said. “Don’t have every course full of cream because it really is going to overload your stomach.”
The table setting and ambience can be arranged by the personal chefs for an additional fee of about $25, Leone said.
“Usually … for the romantic dinners, the couples have chosen to set their own table, but it’s definitely something we’re capable of taking care of for them,” she said.
Williams said how much is done by a chef versus a client varies.
“It really depends on your relationship with the client,” Williams said.
Another feature of having a personal chef is being able to interact with the chef and learn from them.
While some clients are content to stay outside the kitchen while the chef works, others may want to learn a thing or two from a professional.
“They can just watch the chef if they want,” Leone said. “It’s entertainment as well.”
Leone estimates the beginning price for a romantic dinner to be about $300. That’s about $100 for the food and $200 for the service. The average is about $350 to $400, she estimates.
Williams said she expects her romantic dinner service to cost about $200.
More Lovely Meals
If you’d rather go out, many restaurants offer special meals for Valentine’s Day, listed in our story "Love Bites'.
Find a Chef
Here are a few personal chefs who serve the southern New Hampshire area. Contact them to schedule a meal service on or around Valentine’s Day, or any time you want a special meal experience.
• Olive Branch Personal Chef Service, Gabrielle Leone, 978-270-6862, olivebranchfoods.com, cooks romantic meals for two and has openings for Valentine’s Day as of press time.
• Gluten Free Cooking with Oonagh, Oonagh Williams, oonagh@royaltemptations.com, roytaltemptations.com and Facebook, cooks for private dinner parties and couples but is booked for Valentine’s Day.
• Anastasia’s Table, Patti Anastasia, 818-9991, anastasiastable.com, cooks and packages meals in advance for a week or a special occasion (not available on Valentine’s Day).
• Dining By Design, Randy Brisson, 498-1634, diningbydesign.com, does dinner party catering and other special events. Call to discuss available dates.
• My Turn to Cook, Jennifer Buck, 746-6659, nhpersonalchef.com, cooks weekly meals and caters special events. Call to discuss available dates.
• Welcome Home Chef Service, Sarah Hipple, 738-7701, sites.google.com/site/welcomehomechef, caters all kinds of special events (booked for Valentine’s Day; call to discuss available dates).
• MLC Catering, Darlene Towle, 767-5646, mlccatering.com, caters all kinds of special events; she’s booked for Valentine’s Day, but call for other available dates.
Loving Wine
Loving Wine
Spend Valentine's Day At A Local Winery
Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Instead of just going out for a drink this Valentine’s Day, take your date up a notch with a trip to the winery where it was made. There are more than 20 wineries on the New Hampshire Winery Association’s Wine Trail map where you can take a tour, meet the winemakers, sample various wines and more.
Valentine’s Day Winery Events
Visit a Winery for Any Occasion
Relieve Your Cabin Fever
Relieve Your Cabin Fever
Canterbury Hosts Artisan Tour This Weekend
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Got cabin fever? You’re in luck.
Artists, businesses and artisan food and drink producers from Canterbury, Boscawen and Loudon are opening their doors this Saturday, Feb. 11, and Sunday, Feb. 12, for the inaugural Canterbury Cabin Fever Reliever.
The event allows visitors to enjoy samples at places like Cold Garden Spirits and Canterbury Aleworks or view live demonstrations by local craftspeople at venues like Twiggs Gallery or The Woolen Pear nearby. Participants range from cheesemakers and graphic artists to painters and calligraphers.
The man behind the endeavor is Dave Emerson, owner of Old Ways Traditions, which houses wooden accessories, turned bowls, plates, antiques and antique machinery. He’s a regular at events like the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair and Old Home Days in Dunbarton and felt February needed more action.
“Canterbury has done New Hampshire Open Doors for the spring and fall. For years, we’ve had a high concentration [of craftspeople], so it seemed like a good thing to do again,” Emerson said via phone.
This weekend, his shop will also house handmade soap by Janet King, hand-carved spoons by Mark Kneeland and rabbit fur accessories by Linda Ray. Visitors can check out their products, or they can try out some of his antique machinery, including 14 lathes.
Emerson’s business typically sees about 100 visitors during an Open Doors weekend, which happens every November and is organized by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. But the rest of the year, the town’s pretty quiet.
“Most [participating] places are open while [Open Doors] is actually occurring, but few have regular hours throughout the year,” Emerson said.
The winter is particularly quiet in Canterbury. Usually, artists like Adele Sanborn, who owns Twiggs gallery, are working to build up inventory for the spring, summer and fall selling seasons.
“Twiggs, really, is closed for January, February and March. It’s too difficult to run classes with the snow,” Sanborn said via phone. “During these months, I put my nose to the grindstone and work, work, work. It’s hard as an artist. We all work on our own, and it’s fun to be able to open your doors and have the public come in and see how you do your things. I’m excited about the opportunity to open my doors at a time of year when people are just plain sick and tired of winter.”
Sanborn said she’ll have hands-on rubber stamp and calligraphy demonstrations plus “make-and-take” valentines. On view in her gallery is a retrospective of her art the past 30 years and pieces by artists Bev Norton and Shawne Randlett. Liz Kantz will perform live tunes.
Pam Bartlett, owner of The Woolen Pear & Red Horse Rugs, said the weekend presents visitors a “chance to get out of big box stores and come to the little box stores.” She’ll demonstrate rug hooking in her shop, which will be decorated with students’ and her work.
They’re not alone in their excitement.
“I’ve never organized anything with more enthusiasm,” Emerson said.
Canterbury Cabin Fever Reliever
Camp It Up
Camp It Up!
Fun For Kids During February Vacation
Written By Matt Ingersol (listings@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
There are plenty of ways to spend February school vacation week this year, from creating your own arts and crafts and video projects to getting some air on the slopes and more.
Art Camps
General Interest Camps
Media Camps
Nature Camps
Sports Camps
Theater Camps
Deep Freeze
Deep Freeze
Derry's Frost Festival Returns
Written By Matt Ingersol (listings@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Give snowmobiling, cross-country skiing or fat biking a try, or stay warm inside with arts and crafts, face painting and cookie decorating — it’s all part of the Derry Frost Festival, and almost everything’s free.
The 18th annual event will be held from Friday, Feb. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 12, at several locations across Derry and includes outdoor activities like sledding and ice skating and indoor fun, like the Frost Ball, which Frost Festival Committee Chair Linda Benson said is back by popular demand.
It starts Friday with sculptures and a movie.
“We’ve moved the ice sculpture demonstrations to Friday evening in front of the Adams Memorial Opera House,” Benson said. “This Is My Derry will be screening The Lion King then as well, so we’re going to be kind of combining those two efforts.”
Tickets to the screening are available at facebook.com/thisismyderry and free popcorn will also be served.
Friday’s events also include the annual spaghetti dinner sponsored by the Derry Village Rotary Club, at Pinkerton Academy’s cafeteria at 5 p.m., with a game of Bingo beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets are $1 and are available for purchase through the Derry Parks & Recreation office, but free tickets are available if you bring a nonperishable can of food for donation.
On Saturday, the Derry Public Library will host a family puppet show with two shows, titled “Little Owl Lost” and “Lil Rabbit Who Likes to Moo,” beginning at 11 a.m. During the intermission, enjoy a game of Twister and a free animal demonstration from Wildlife Encounters.
Stop by Orange Leaf Yogurt inside Derry’s Hood Commons, which will be hosting a coloring contest, a balloon artist, face painting, giveaways and prizes, crafts and more from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Frost Ball will take place on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. at Birch Wood Vineyards. Tickets are $50 per person and include dancing, a cash bar, and meal choices like prime rib and chicken piccata. Most of Sunday’s festivities will take place at Hoodkroft Country Club, Alexander-Carr Playground or Gallien’s Town Beach.
The Derry Pathfinders Snowmobile Club will be offering free snowmobile rides, complete with demonstrations and safety information, at the Hoodkroft golf course from noon to 4 p.m.
Also at Hoodkroft will be opportunities to try out cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat bikes, courtesy of Benson’s Ski & Sport. The Culinary Playground will be offering a free cookie decorating workshop indoors from 1 to 3 p.m. at the club. At Alexander-Carr, enjoy sledding from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the annual bonfire coordinated by the Derry Fire Department at noon.
Grab your skates for open skating on Beaver Lake with Pinkerton Academy’s hockey team. A special ice fishing demonstration will take place at noon. And from noon to 3 p.m., there will be a chili contest; bring a food donation and vote on your favorite chili prepared by Beaver Lake Association members.
Benson said events at Gallien’s Beach and Hoodkroft might be cancelled for weather reasons, but Alexander-Carr events will likely happen no matter the weather. For event updates, visit derrynh.org.
Schedule of Events
Ice Sculpture demonstrations: Friday, Feb. 10, noon; Adams Memorial Opera House, 29 W. Broadway
Family Spaghetti Supper: Friday, Feb. 10, 5 p.m.; Senior Cafeteria at Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St.
The Lion King movie screening: Friday, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.; Adams Memorial Opera House, 29 W. Broadway
Family puppet show: Saturday, Feb. 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Veterans Hall, 31 W. Broadway
Kids’ activities at Orange Leaf Yogurt: Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 to 3 p.m.; 55 Crystal Ave., No. 23
Frost Ball: Saturday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m.; Birch Wood Vineyards, 199 Rockingham Road
Snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing and fat bike rides: Sunday, Feb. 12, noon to 4 p.m.; Hoodkroft Country Club, 121 E. Broadway
Cookie decorating workshop: Sunday, Feb. 12, 1 to 3 p.m.; Hoodkroft Country Club, 121 E. Broadway
Open sledding: Sunday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Alexander-Carr Playground, 28 Pierce Ave.
Derry Fire Department-sponsored bonfire: Sunday, Feb. 12, noon; Alexander-Carr Playground, 28 Pierce Ave.
Open hockey and ice skating: Sunday, Feb. 12, noon to 3 p.m.; Gallien’s Town Beach, 39 Pond Road
Ice fishing demonstration: Sunday, Feb. 12, noon; Gallien’s Town Beach, 39 Pond Road
Chili contest: Sunday, Feb. 12, noon to 3 p.m.; Gallien’s Town Beach, 39 Pond Road
18th annual Derry Frost Festival
When: Friday, Feb. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 12
Where: Various locations across Derry
Cost: Most activities are free; Frost Ball is $50 admission per person
Visit: derrynh.org/parks-recreation
Toggle Title
Weekly Music Review
With You Tonight & More
Written By Eric Saeger (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Album Artwork
Summer Moon, With You Tonight (self-released)
This side project from Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture could never be mistaken as a proper Strokes album, which is part of the good news. It’s certainly steeped in 1980s nostalgia, essentially a cross between early U2 and Joy Division with some woozy Beach Boys sonics going on in the vocal department, right on cue for this millennium (sort of – isn’t that Beach Boys vibe starting to smell a little moldy to you people?). But, again, the roots are definitively ’80s; if you told me this was a local band slugging it out with Mission of Burma from back in the Pleistocene age, I would have bought that bridge without hesitation, that is until the squashed-gltich intro for “Chemical,” which, although marginally cheesy, evinces a modicum of familiarity with your Pro Tools and whatnot. (Heh, there’s a Mister Roboto part in there.) Melodically decent overall, no ground broken.
Grade: B
Fleece, Voyager (Fleece Music)
When last we left this Montreal foursome (2013’s Scavenger album), they were trying to be all things to all people. The opening track was neo-stoner stuff a la Band of Skulls, and then the ingredients started to pile on, one by one: 1970s brass-pop, Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, Warlocks and wobbly hipster things jostled for position (politely of course). They certainly look like annoying vegans, but that wasn’t the point – they just wanted to rock out, to a degree, and, thank God, they’re not the token leaning-to-heavy act on Arts & Crafts Records (yet). This time out, bandleader Matthew Rogers’s lyrics are comprised of time-traveling nuggets of advice to his own closeted teen self, so there’s a slightly conceptual premise to the thing, which helps. Turns out the record doesn’t need much help, though, not if you’re a fan of Flaming Lips at their most commercially accessible – yeah, yeah, I know, but really, not only does it find some real melodic sweet spots, the songs fit together more cohesively, even when it shifts from psychedelic torch (“Under the Light”) to Beatles-infused rhumba (“On My Mind”) to spacey Winston Giles arena-indie. Very good stuff.
Grade: A
From Louisinna To Manchester
From Louisinna To Manchester
Queen City Gets A New Cajun Style Restaurant
Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Madear’s, a new restaurant featuring Cajun flavors, is projected to open on Hanover Street in Manchester on Feb. 28 — which is, fittingly, Mardi Gras.
Named after the southern term of endearment for a mother or matriarch, Madear’s will serve Cajun cuisine and southern comfort food with a focus on tapas and shareable plates.
The restaurant is a collaboration between two friends: Chef Robb Curry, originally from Baton Rouge, and Kyle Davis, an engineer born and raised in Hudson.
Curry brings over 20 years of culinary experience and a deep knowledge of Cajun cuisine developed from his own upbringing. The restaurant pays homage to the Ma’dear in his own life, his grandmother, who inspired in him a passion for cooking from a young age.
“I wanted to stick to my roots,” he said. “This is the food I grew up with and the food I know how to do, so I wanted to do that, but elevate it and make it so it has that ‘wow’ factor.”
Davis had always enjoyed home baking for his family and has done some competition-style baking as a hobby, so when Curry proposed taking his Boston-based catering company (also called Madear’s) to the next level with a restaurant in Manchester, he invited Davis to be a co-owner and the restaurant’s dessert and pastry chef.
The Madear’s planned menu will feature primarily tapas and small plates starting at $3, including things like catfish nuggets, pulled pork egg rolls, crab neapolitan and jambalaya arancini. There are salads, a meat and cheese board and six varieties of rice bowls such as red bean, gumbo and Cajun rice.
“Robb and I love the small plate style,” Davis said. “It’s a more communal way of eating, and with Cajun cuisine especially, since it’s new to Manchester, it lets you try several different things. It’s like having a buffet right at the table where everyone can enjoy it together.”
There will be a small selection of entree plates: country grits with cheese, fish or shrimp, fried pork chops, a roasted or fried half-pound chicken and an all-natural beef burger. The desserts, which are all $5, are also small-plate style and include bread pudding, pecan pie, ice cream, German chocolate cake and red velvet cake.
The atmosphere is designed to be casual and comfortable with wood tables, warm lighting and a lounge area with reclining chairs.
“It’s a very southern feel. We want you to feel like you’re going to your grandmother’s house, and she’s about the feed you,” Curry said. “We don’t want anyone to feel intimidated.”
Curry and Davis said they’re excited to be a part of “a rejuvenation of the restaurant industry,” as Curry calls it, happening in Manchester, and to bring something new to the area.
“There are a lot of places in Manchester with good food and good service, but I think what we’re offering with the family setting and what Robb is doing with these traditional recipes is something that’s unique,” Davis said.
Eat At Madear’s
Where: 175 Hanover St., Manchester
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Contact: 206-5827, facebook.com/madears603
Rings
Film Review
Rings (PG-13)
Written By Amy Diaz (adiaz@hippopress.com)
Images: Movie Screenshot
The videotape of doom and its accompanying creepy-girl ghost returns in Rings, yet another movie from the early 2000's getting a 2017 franchise sequel.
You watch the tape and seven days later you die — that and the long-haired ghoul-girl are kind of all I remember from The Ring. This movie later also reminds us of the loophole: copy the VHS of creepy Samara and her curio of spooky images and make someone else watch it and then they, not you, will die comically, I mean horribly.
The central action of this movie starts when Professor Gabriel Brown (Johnny Galecki), a character who seems like he’s going to be important but turns out not to be, decides to buy a VCR at a flea market. There’s no good reason for him to buy this VCR or to watch the tape labeled “watch me” that’s stuck inside. But, I guess if he just threw it and the VCR away, like a normal person would, we won’t have a movie. So he watches it, it happens to be the spooky death movie and thus begins a kind of experiment, wherein he gets his students to watch the tape (now a digital video file) and then has them make a copy and get other people to watch it so they’ll cheat Samara-death.
Again, no good reason for this (there’s some talk about it proving the existence of the soul, but even the movie doesn’t waste a lot of time fleshing that out) but the “experiment” angle allows student Holt (Alex Roe) and then his girlfriend Julia (Matilda Lutz) to be infected with videotape-itis. But when Julia makes a copy, she gets the director’s cut, with bonus scenes involving a church and birds and other random stuff. She decides to do further investigation into the images and into Samara — the little girl who was creepy in life and then generated the deadly chain letter video after she was murdered.
This movie is strangely earnest and seems as though it is unaware of the nearly two decades of movies that have come between the first U.S. version of The Ring and now (years where quite a few horror movies riffed on The Ring’s general look and tone). It still treats the idea of a creepy thing coming out of an unplugged TV as a shocker and doesn’t add anything new to either the story’s basic premise or how it works in the present. The movie also doesn’t deviate from its playing-it-down-the-center serious tone, but has just enough strangeness about it (everything about Johnny Galecki’s performance, for example) that there are moments (though not nearly enough) of unintentional comedy. Rings is, ultimately, just kinda goofy.