MANCHESTER, NH – Mid-March means not only St. Patrick’s Day, but March Madness and NH Restaurant Week. Look for drink and appetizer specials at many local sport bars through the NCAA tournaments.
NH Restaurant week is bigger than ever and organizers have put together a comprehensive website to serve as your guide. Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day and to celebrate, lots of local eateries are serving hearty Irish breakfasts and corned beef and cabbage to celebrate. Check out the complete listing below.
Try something new. NH Restaurant Week starts Friday, March 18. Check out the official website, here, for all the details, including lists of participating restaurants by region and price point. Participating restaurants range from diners to fine dining, so there’s truly something for everyone.
Start of St Patrick’s Day with a traditional Irish breakfast. In Manchester several local pubs are serving it up. Check out Shaskeen, (opens at 6 a.m.), Wild Rover (buffet starting at 7 a.m.), Queen’s Pub & Grille (opens at 7 a.m.), Strange Brew (opens at 9 a.m.) and at Billy’s Sport’s Bar (weekends only throughout March).
Want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef and cabbage? These local spots are serving up a plate of Irish goodness: Belmont Hall (serving until 8 p.m.), Billy’s Sports Bar, Chestnut’s Café (open for dinner from 5-8 p.m.), Chez Vachon, Hooked, Julien’s Corner Kitchen, Bedford Village Inn, Copper Door, Derryfield, Milly’s Tavern, Moe Joe’s, Murphy’s Taproom, Penuche’s, Red Arrow Diner, Shaskeen, Strange Brew, The Yard, Wild Rover, Queen’s Pub & Grille, Veranda and How’s Your Onion in Derry.
Searching for traditional Irish soda bread? The Dutch Epicure Bakery in Amherst makes it on Friday, Saturday and Sundays.
Weeknight deal. The Bistro at LaBelle Winery is now offering a three- course prix-fixe menu Monday through Thursdays. Priced at $35 per person, the menu includes a wine pairing. The menu changes weekly.
Mint Bistro is schedule to reopen on March 17. The Elm Street restaurant has been closed since February 15 when a pipe above the restaurant burst and caused severe damage.
Not New Hampshire’s year. The James Beard Awards has announced the finalists. Sadly, Matt Louis of Moxy Restaurant in Portsmouth, a semi-finalist for Best Chef-Northeast, didn’t make the cut. Also, Shepherd, in Cambridge, MA, and The Honey Paw in Portland, ME, are out of the running for Best New Restaurant. Two Maine restaurants did make it to the final round for Best Chef-Northeast; Mike Wiley and Andrew Taylor of Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, ME and Brian Hill of Francine in Camden, ME. Winners will be announced May 2, so make your reservations before then. See the complete list of finalists here.
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Susan Ware Flower writes about the local food scene for Manchester Ink Link. She has years of experience reporting for The Boston Globe and other regional publications, including reporting on the Manchester food scene for Hippo Press. When not writing for the MIL, she does PR and creates compelling content for the web while hanging out with her New Hampshire-made Golden Retriever. Send your foodie news tips to susanwflower@gmail.com
