Off the hook — Seacoast Scene — 09/07/23

september 7 - 13, 2023

vol 48 No 16

Advertising Staff

Charlene Nichols

seacoast scene advertising sales manager (603) 625-1855, ext.126 Charlene@seacoastscene.net

roxanne macaig

seacoast scene account executive (603) 625-1855 ext. 127 rmacaig@hippopress.com

Editorial Staff Editor

Angie Sykeny editor@seacoastscene.net

Editorial Design

Brooke Fraser

Contributors

matt Ingersoll, curt mackail, michael Witthaus, amy Diaz, Jennifer graham, John Fladd, ray magliozzi

Production

Brooke Fraser, Jennifer Gingras

Circulation Manager

Doug Ladd, 625-1855, ext. 135 dladd@hippopress.com

Have an event or a story idea for the seacoast scene? Let us know at: editor@seacoastscene.net

Unsolicited submissions are not accepted and will not be returned or acknowledged. Unsolicited submissions will be destroyed.

Meet Shiloh!

This handsome loving man was brought to the NHSPCA when his owner was going through some financial and medical struggles. He is very sweet and is looking for his next forever home. He is great for his walks and loves to play and cuddle. A slow and proper introduction to any future housemates is always recommended. Do you think Shiloh is the perfect new addition to your family? Stop by the NHSPCA Adoption Center (104 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham), open every day except Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or email info@nhspca.org.

cover story

4 Hampton Beach Seafood Festival people & places

10 University libraries open their doors to the public food

12 Eateries and ideas for foodies pop culture

16 Arthouse alive and well in Newburyport Nite life

21 Music, comedy and more beach bum fuN

28 Puzzles, horoscopes and crazy news

off the hook

By Curt Mackail

The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival keeps reaching higher. Now in its 34th year, the event has an all-time high of more than 50 food purveyors scheduled to line Ocean Boulevard, reports the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce. If that’s not enough, new this year, a high-in-the-sky air show by Rob Holland, a star pilot from Thunder Over New Hampshire, will have you looking up. Holland, a New Hampshire native, is one of the most decorated aerobatic pilots in U.S. history with multiple championship titles and groundbreaking innovations in aerobatic maneuvers.

The seafood fest happens Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. Expect tents, booths and food purveyors on wheels to line Ocean Boulevard, fanning out from the center of Hampton Beach. Hours are Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission is $10. Tickets are available at the entrance gates or online at seafoodfestivalnh.com/ tickets. Tickets do not include the cost of food and drink from vendors. All

Seafood festival returns to Hampton Beach

entertainment is free. Thunder Over New Hampshire shows are scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

“We’re also bringing in more than 70 local artisans to showcase their crafts and products,” said Colleen Westcott, marketing director for the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce. “Shopping local always feels better. Artisans will have everything

from walking sticks to hot sauce, home decor to honey, something for every personality.”

Bands are booked for continuous performances on two stages, and the festival boasts what it says is New England’s largest outdoor drinking establishment — albeit serving beer only under temporary tented cover — duly named the Beach Cabana Bar.

Other entertainment includes a lobster roll eating contest, two cornhole tournaments, fireworks on Saturday at 8 p.m., the Harvard Pilgrim Seafood Fest 5K Road Race on Sunday, and a pop-up art gallery all days.

At the gallery site on the sand near the bar, you’ll be able to observe and greet painters creating new works. The artists’ paintings will be judged for prizes and auctioned on Sunday.

Last year’s award winners

Best Bisque

Winner: The Old Salt

Runner-up: Lupes 55 Cantina

Best Chowder

Winner: Rye Harbor Lobster Pound

Runner-up: JR’S Steak and Seafood

Best Fried Food

Winner: Lupes 55 Cantina

Runner-up: Ray’s Seafood

Seafood stars come out

Aside from the entertainment, the stars of the show throughout the event are restaurateurs, stall operators, seafood purveyors and food truck specialists who showcase their dishes. Fresh seafood abounds with awards for the best bisques, chowders, lobster rolls, fried food and desserts, and best non-seafood dishes.

“This is the 20th year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound will be participating in the Hampton Seafood Festival,” said Lobster Pound owner Sylvia Cheever. “We’re a family-owned business that’s been operating since 1996. Our favorite part of the fest is seeing all our returning friends. We love making people happy.”

“If you want award-winning soups

Best Non-Seafood

Winner: Pat’s World Famous

Runner-up: Lupes 55 Cantina

Best Lobster Roll

Winner: Pat’s World Famous

Runner-up: Rye Harbor Lobster Pound

Best Dessert

Winner: La Spiaggia

Pat’s World Famous, a self-described beach hot dog joint, originated and continues to win acclaim for its LobDog, a fat frankfurter smothered with lobster meat, cheese sauce, potato sticks and scallions. Courtesy of Pat’s World Famous.

“We love meeting people from all around at the festival,” said Swell Oyster Co. co-owner Russ Hillyard. “Everyone always seems like they’re enjoying themselves and [they] are there for one thing, good food and a good time. It’s like a giant party that everyone can enjoy.” Courtesy of Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

and lobster rolls, we are your first stop,” Cheever said. “We’ve won every food award that was offered through the decades. Best bisque, best chowder, best lobster roll, most creative cuisine, freshest catch.”

Their most famous dish is their award-winning fluffy chowder, a New England-style creamy clam chowder topped with lobster in a butter sherry sauce. This year they will offer a lobster quesadilla as well.

Last year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound took top prize for its chowder and was first runner-up in the lobster roll category.

Winning the 2022 best lobster roll and best non-seafood item prizes, Pat’s World Famous, a self-proclaimed beach hot dog joint, returns this year with its eyes again on the prizes.

“Our seafood chowder is to die for and has been in the family for more than 50 years,” owner Pat Sullivan, who cheffed professionally before

opening his beach food stand at 3 D St., told Seacoast Scene.

Pat’s World Famous lobster rolls and their unique award-winning LobDog — a hot dog topped with lobster, cheese sauce, potato sticks and scallions — will again be served along with other beach food at Pat’s festival booth.

“This place is amazing. The food is off the hook. Tried the LobDog and was blown away by so many flavors going on in just one bite. The owner Pat is an amazing guy. He just loves what he does,” said social reviewer George McHugh, a Pat’s World Famous fan who, incidentally, studied at the Culinary Institute of America.

Perennial local favorites also include the North Hampton Fire Department, serving breakfast sandwiches for early goers, and Hampton’s Saint James Masonic Lodge #102, a former champ in the fried seafood category.

Swell Oyster Co., a mollusk farm-

Thousands are expected to turn out for this year’s 34th Annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. Restaurateurs, stall operators, seafood purveyors and food trucks will line Ocean Boulevard, showcasing their best menu items. Courtesy of Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

ing operation with its harvest area in Hampton Harbor, will be dishing oysters on the half-shell, shucked to order. Co-founder Russ Hilliard said the Swell suspended aquaculture system produces consistent, deep, easily shucked shells with plump meat.

“We’re very excited to be participating in the seafood fest again this

Wicked Bites demonstrations

Saturday, Sept. 9

year. In addition to fresh oysters, our menu includes two types of grilled oysters, classic Rockefeller style and a tasty chipotle bourbon sauced halfshell fresh off the fire. We’ll have extra-large shrimp cocktail too,” Hillyard said.

“People should stop by and see us because not only did we win Best of

11:30 a.m. Michael Higgins, Old Salt Restaurant, Hampton.

12:15 p.m. Art Welch, Pig Rock Sausages, Boston.

1 p.m. Michael Conneelly, The Peddler’s Daughter Irish Restaurant and Pub, Haverhill, Mass., and Nashua.

1:45 p.m. Pica’s Pub and Grill, Methuen, Mass.

2:30 p.m. Adrianne Simeone, Boston Salads and Prepared Foods, Boston.

3:15 p.m. Jay Duffley, Joe Fish Seafood Restaurant and Bar, North Andover, Mass.

4 p.m. The Airfield Cafe, Hampton.

Sunday, Sept. 10

Noon Annibale Todesca, The Colosseum, Salem, N.H.

1 p.m. Paul Tomacchio, Stack’s, Haverhill, Mass.

1:45 p.m. Dan Lane, The Tack Room, Lincoln, Mass.

2:30 p.m. Danny Gracia, Eva’s Pastries, Peabody, Mass.

3:15 p.m. Big Bad Food Truck and Eatery, Hampton.

the Fest last year, we’re also as local as it gets,” he continued. “Not only were we the first but we are still the only oyster farm in these waters. We love meeting people from all around. Everyone always seems like they’re enjoying themselves and are there for one thing, good food and a good time. It’s like a giant party that everyone can enjoy.”

Mainstays like The Old Salt restaurant, last year’s winner in the bisque category, will vie for honors once again. Brown’s Lobster Pound, a past lobster roll champ hoping to repeat, will be a popular stop for local seafood lovers too. And Ray’s Seafood, another frequent award winner that took home a runner-up prize for its fried seafood last year, will also strut its stuff for the judges.

More than seafood

There are plenty of options if you’re not a seafood fan. Roast beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, barbecue, gyros, french fries, pizza, pastry

and desserts promise deliciousness too.

Shane’s Texas Pit BBQ, a past winner in the non-seafood category, is one vendor to look for if your taste runs to Austin-style smoked fall-offthe-bone meats and classic southern fixin’s on the side.

Mexican food is showcased at Lupe’s 55 Cantina booth. But don’t overlook its seafood. Last year Lupes 55 Cantina picked up a winning blue ribbon for its fried seafood and runner-up awards in the bisque and dessert categories.

“We always pride ourselves on bringing a unique vibe to the New England seafood scene with fresh, vibrant flavors of traditional Mexican ingredients fused with new ideas. In the past we really focused on how we can do things differently from the usual lobster dishes, but this year we’re going all in with lobster,” Lupes 55 Cantina owner Nicole Leavitt said.

“We’re taking some of Mexico’s

favorite street foods and bringing them to Ocean Boulevard. We’ll be featuring classic elote served in a creamy cotija,” she said. “We also will serve

Vendor roster

Located in the North Tent

La Spiaggia

St. James Lodge

Rye Harbor Lobster Pound

Rockingham Rolling Kitchen

International Foods

Let the Dough Roll

Brown’s Lobster Pound

Rudy’s Bubble Tea

Boston Chowda Co.

Wing-itz

Swell Oyster Co.

North Hampton Professional Firefighters

Day-by-day schedule

Friday, Sept. 8

lobster chowder topped with more lobster, corn and Mexican spices.”

Elote is sweet roasted corn on the cob as served in Mexico and Cen-

Miss Bailey’s All American Comfort Food

Ray’s Seafood Restaurant

Located in the South Tent

Boardwalk Cafe and Boardwalk Fries

Seashore Seafood

Pat’s World Famous Extreme Concessions

The Old Salt at Lamie’s Inn

Sweet Bottom Boys

JR’s Famous Steak & Seafood

Ronaldo’s Deadproof Pizza

Noon: Entrance gates and all craft, food and beer tents open.

1 to 7 p.m. Pop-up art exhibit at the beer tent.

1 to 9 p.m. Live entertainment on two stages.

6:15 p.m. Food award winners announced at the Sea Shell stage.

9 p.m. Festival closes.

Saturday, Sept. 9

10 a.m. Entrance gates and all craft, food and beer tents open plus live entertainment on two stages.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef demonstrations hosted by Wicked Bites in the Culinary Tent. 1 p.m. Thunder Over New Hampshire air show with aerobatic pilot Rob Holland. Noon to 4 p.m. Cornhole tournaments at the Beach Cabana Bar.

8:30 p.m. Fireworks presented by Hampton Beach Village District.

9 p.m. Festival closes.

Sunday, Sept. 10

8 a.m. Yoga on the beach led by Hampton Beach Yoga & Mindfulness studio. 8:30 a.m.

Lil’ Lobster 100-yard fun run for children.

9 a.m. Entrance gates and all craft, food and beer tents open plus live entertainment on two stages.

9 a.m. Harvard Pilgrim Seafood Fest 5K Road Race along Ocean Boulevard, finishing at the Beach Cabana Bar.

10 a.m. Art show awards at the Sea Shell stage.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef demonstrations hosted by Wicked Bites in the Culinary Tent. 1 p.m. Thunder Over New Hampshire air show with aerobatic pilot Rob Holland.

2 p.m. Annual lobster roll eating contest on the Sea Shell stage.

6 p.m. The 34th annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival ends

A lobster roll eating contest, an entertaining spectacle of mass consumption, is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. on the Sea Shell stage. Courtesy of Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

tral America. Cotija is an aged cheese popularly spread on elote with chili lime butter.

There will also be a piña colada turned into a dessert topped with all kinds of goodies, served in a takehome coconut, as well as traditional

churros.

“Although we think the excitement will center on what we’re calling the battle of the tacos, our fan-favorite haddock taco always takes center stage on our menu over nine years running,” Leavitt said.

This year they’re introducing their Langosta Y Sandia taco, which features a watermelon salsa and avocado aioli. In addition, they’ll have T-shirts and salsa for customers to take home.

Ronaldo’s Ristorante, an Italian dining room in North Hampton, makes its debut appearance at the festival this year.

Seafood festival policies

Children under age 12 are admitted free. Age 12 and older, $10 admission fee. Admission to the festival does not include the cost of food or beverages.

Bring a valid state-issued form of identification. All IDs will be checked at the gate. This policy is firm and will not be altered.

All ticket sales are final, no refunds issued. Event is rain or shine. Side entry admission gates handle cash ticket sales only.

Alcohol within festival grounds is provided by NH Distributors and licensed vendors only. No outside alcohol may be brought into the festival.

Other than service animals, pets are prohibited.

The festival closes Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. Last call for drink ticket sales is also 9 p.m. Last drink is served at 9:30 p.m. Last shuttle departs the festival at 10 p.m. On Sunday, the festival closes at 6 p.m. Last call for drink ticket sales is 5 p.m. Last Drink is served at 5:30 p.m. Last shuttle leaves at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit seafoodfestivalnh.com or hamptonbeach.org. Information is also available by visiting or contacting the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, 160 Ocean Blvd., 603-926-8718, info@hamptonchamber.com.

Directions

From Interstate 95 take Exit 2 in Hampton. Bear left after Hampton Toll Booth onto Route 101E toward Hampton. From Route 101E, take the first exit, Exit 13, Route 27E. Follow signs to the free parking and shuttle service lots.

Admission gate finder

North gate is on Ocean Boulevard by the NH Marine Memorial statue (sometimes called The Lady of the Sea) just south of the Ashworth Hotel and the boulevard intersection with Highland Ave. South gate is on Ocean Boulevard at the south end of the Hampton Beach playground.

Side gates are on the streets connecting Ashworth Ave. to Ocean Boulevard. Side gates accept only cash for admission.

Parking and shuttle finder

First Student bus company offers free parking and shuttle service to the festival from in-town satellite parking lots. Organizers say shuttle service is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way to get to the festivities. Shuttle hours are Friday, Sept. 8, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last shuttle departs the festival at 10 p.m. Satellite parking lots

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Town Hall Parking Lot, 100 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton Municipal Parking Lot, High Street, Hampton Hampton Park & Ride, Timber Swamp Road, Hampton Friday after 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Seafood Festival attendees will be looking up when Thunder Over New Hampshire’s star pilot, Rob Holland, puts on an aerobatics show overhead. The air show happens Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Courtesy of Thunder Over New Hampshire.

“This year, Ronaldo’s Ristorante is excited to showcase an array of ravioli varieties at the festival,” said proprietor Paula Stanca. “For enthusiasts of the finer delicacies, the lobster ravioli is a testament to culinary refinement. The succulent lobster filling, delicately seasoned and encased in the finest pasta, offers

Center School, 53 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton Hampton Marston School, 4 Marston Way, Hampton Saturday and Sunday only

Winnacunnet High School Student Lot, 1 Alumni Drive, Hampton Merrill Industrial Drive, Street numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, Hampton Free handicap shuttle service with parking offered on all days

Available at the Hampton Town Hall, 100 Winnacunnet Road. Or, for handicap parking spaces closer to the beach, go to the NH State Park, 8 State Park Road (just north of the Seabrook Bridge). Parking fee there is $15 daily with free shuttle service to the festival.

S B R O W N

Pat’s World Famous is a fan favorite for their lobster rolls, LobDogs, chowder and other specialties. Courtesy of Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

WICKED TOASTY! TOASTED MARSHMALLOW LIQUEUR WICKED GOOD IN COCKTAILS, OVER ICE OR AS A SHOOTER

a taste that pairs wonderfully with the seafood festival.”

“But we understand that not everyone prefers seafood, and dietary restrictions or personal taste preferences can often limit the options at festivals,” Stanca continued. That’s why Ronaldo’s booth will also offer a departure from the seafood-focused offerings at the festival. For those looking for a break from seafood or seeking alternative options, their booth will present a diverse range of choices. “Ronaldo’s Ristorante recognizes that meatballs hold a special place in many hearts, and they’ll be gracing our menu,” Stanca said.

Ronaldo’s Ristorante will also serve up homemade cannolis.

“Our homemade cannolis are prepared with a delicate, crispy shell and a velvety ricotta filling. Whether you’re curious about our unique ravioli combinations, meatballs, or eager to indulge in sumptuous des-

serts, your visit to our booth promises a memorable event,” Stanca said.

Wicked Bites presents demonstrations by culinary professionals

Continuous culinary demonstrations featuring some of New England’s notable chefs will be presented by Wicked Bites, the Boston television and radio program hosted by Scott Whitley and Leigh Murphy. You’ll find the Wicked Bites culinary tent adjacent to the Hampton Chamber of Commerce beach office at 160 Ocean Blvd.

“This isn’t your run-of-the-mill tent. It’s a culinary hub, a platform where top area chefs showcase their skills, whipping up samples of their finest dishes for you to savor,” Whitley told Seacoast Scene. “Think of it as a live cooking show where you can not only watch but participate. You’re free to ask questions, pick the brains of the chefs, and maybe even learn a secret recipe or two. Plus, there’s plenty of samples.”

Musical artists

Rye Harbor Lobster Pound is perhaps the alltime most decorated seafood vendor by judges at the Seafood Fest. "If you want award-winning soups and lobster rolls, we are your first stop. We’ve won every food award that was offered through the decades. Best bisque, best chowder, best lobster roll, most creative cuisine, freshest catch,” said owner Sylvia Cheever, pictured front, center. Courtesy of Rye Harbor Lobster Pound.

Musical performers on Friday include Maddi Ryan, The Great Escape, Woodland Protocol, Rhythm Method, and Impact. Saturday’s music lineup features Bryson Lang, the Kit Demos Big Band, All Day Fire, Funbucket, The Gravel Project, Whatshername, Bailout, and Being Petty. On Sunday, performers include The Bel Airs, Dave Macklin Band, Brandy Band, and Freight Train.

The Kit Demos Big Band, featuring some of the Seacoast’s jazz musicians, performs Saturday at 11 a.m. Courtesy of Kit Demos.

Hampton Falls

CRAFT Festival

Sept. 16 & 17

Town Common ~ Route 1 Hampton Falls, NH

American Made Arts, Crafts, Food & Live Music! Fine Jewelry, Fiber, Pottery, Cutting Boards, Country Woodcrafts, Plush, Candles, Furniture, Growth Charts, Ornaments, Photography, Accessories, Signs, Clay, Ladies Apparel, Doll Clothes, Organic Soaps, Fold Art, Fudge, Oils, Kettle Corn, Dips, Maple, Honey & More!

Free Admission - Rain or Shine

From 95, Take Exit 1 onto Route 1 North www.castleberryfairs.com

Welcome to the libraries

University libraries lend to all state residents

University libraries have traditionally been reserved for students and faculty. However, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) has expanded access to its resources, now allowing the broader community to utilize its collections. We spoke with Tara Lynn Fulton, Dean of the UNH Library, to delve into the reasons behind this decision, the response from the community and the implications for academic libraries in the future. New Hampshire residents (18 years old and older) can obtain library cards from USNH campuses with valid identification and proof of residency. Visit library.unh.edu.

Why did you decide to start offering free borrowing to New Hampshire residents?

First, to offer some broader context: We have public libraries in communities across the state. ... If someone requires more in-depth research that their local library can’t fulfill, these libraries offer interlibrary loans. We’ve always participated in this, lending materials. Each of our libraries also traditionally had a small regional group that could obtain library cards. This isn’t a new initiative; most people have relied on their public libraries. But for individuals like writers or high school students involved in advanced research, it’s been a beneficial service. Our primary mission is to serve the campus: our students and faculty. Historically, this meant physical collections like print books, DVDs, and other materials. As the digital era has progressed, more of our collections have transitioned to e-books and digital media. During the Covid era, with a shift to remote learning, our faculty leaned heavily into these electronic resources, and the need for physical materials lessened. This made me wonder: Why not open up our resources more widely? I brought this up with other library directors from the University System of New Hampshire, and they were all on board. Hence, the initiative evolved.

Have you seen an uptick in borrowers?

Several people got cards as soon as the news spread. It’s not a vast number, but for those who wanted it, it’s been valuable. I’ve seen a few people walking around in the library. One individual mentioned how they appreciated the chance to check out materials and were also grateful to know they’re welcome in our building. This offering has reinforced to the community that our facilities are open and available for their use.

What distinguishes your library’s materials from those in a typical town library?

Our library’s core focus is to serve the university by providing materials that support higher education. While town libraries offer a general assortment of classic literature and popular reads, our collection delves deeper, especially into areas like English literature and American literature. The depth varies based on campus programs; for instance, the Durham campus emphasizes science, so we have a substantial array of historical physics materials. We have extensive collections, including non-circulating special ones, such as an in-depth history of New Hampshire, invaluable for researchers or authors seeking historical accuracy. Campuses like Keene and Plymouth, historically centered on teacher education, provide resources beneficial for educators, such as specialized teaching methods for specific grades.

Is there a plan to digitize the special collections, extending their accessibility?

We’re taking progressive steps to digitize, ensuring we adhere to copyright constraints. A notable accomplishment from the past year is digitizing New Hampshire’s town reports in their entirety, which has been well-received. Most of our digitized collections can be browsed on our website.

Do you think other universities might adopt a similar approach, opening their libraries to local residents?

This might differ from state to state. New Hampshire’s tight-knit nature promotes a strong bond between universities and communities. Our effort seems like a logical progression in this partnership. While I’m unaware of similar endeavors in other states, the global trend moving away from print materials might inspire similar initiatives. We’d be delighted to be trailblazers in this movement.

— Angie Sykeny

PeoPLe & PLaceS Q&A

UNH system libraries are located in Manchester, Durham, Keene and Plymouth. Courtesy graphic.

Drinks with John FlaDD

Labor Day refreshments

You promised your therapist that you would try to take better care of yourself. And you really meant to. But the kids had camp, and then your sister had a fight with her boyfriend and showed up at your house with three suitcases. And then the weekend you thought you might actually get away, the dog came down with food poisoning, and then all the water in the faucets turned rusty.

With one thing or another, you never got to sit in a cabaña, sipping umbrella drinks and making small talk with attractive strangers.

And now summer is over. This is deeply unfortunate.

I hesitate to give you unsolicited advice, but your sister is still here and there are at least three movies that the kids want to see, so maybe:

1. Do what you have to do to grab two or three hours to yourself. Spring for movie theater popcorn, if you must.

2. Put on a playlist of Harry Belafonte and Don Ho.

3. Drink one — or both — of these Decadent Vacation Cocktails:

Rum Runner

1 ounce white or silver rum – Because this is a strongly flavored drink, you probably won’t want to use your best rum for this; any subtle nuances will be overwhelmed. Don’t use the ultra-discount-bottom-shelf stuff, but you don’t need to sweat finding really good rum for this. Captain Morgan or Bacardi would be fine.

1 ounce dark rum – Again, don’t let this stress you out; I like Myers’ Dark for tropical drinks.

1 ounce crème de banana

½ ounce blackberry brandy

2 ounces pineapple juice – I like to buy the little 6-ounce cans of juice for this; you don’t end up with a giant, half-empty can slowly going bad in your refrigerator.

1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

½ ounce grenadine

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, then shake thoroughly. Strain over fresh ice in a large glass. Garnish or not, depending on your mood; too many cherries might be nice. Again though, the key here is to avoid stressing out over sub-crisis decisions.

This is a classic fruity, boozy Attitude Adjustment Tool. The rums play well with pineapple juice — why would they not? Pineapple juice gets along with everyone. The lime juice adds a touch of acid, and the grenadine — which is pomegranate syrup, if that’s weighing on your mind — adds color and rounds off the juices, keeping them from being too acidic.

Bahama Mama

1 ounce coconut rum – the sweet kind

1 ounce dark, overproof rum – the kind you remember from college as “151”

½ ounce coffee brandy

2½ ounces pineapple juice

¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

Again, pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into another large glass — or the same one; there’s no one around to make pointed comments — over fresh ice.

On the face of it, these ingredients do not seem like a great match. Pineapple juice and coffee ? But I stand by my previous comment about pineapple juice going with anything. Rum — the friendliest alcohol — has already been making sustained eye contact with the lemon juice and trying to organize a limbo contest.

Either — or both — of these drinks will improve your attitude. When your children return from the movies, call them Lola and Sergio regardless of what their actual names are. This will freak them out enough that you will be able to demand that they bring you Cheetos®, and they might actually do it.

Miami Dancehall cocktail

I think that it’s fair to say that Florida doesn’t have the best reputation.

Take, for example, the “Florida Man” game. If you’ve never tried this, your eyebrows are about to rise higher than you ever suspected was possible. Open an internet search engine, and enter the term “Florida man” and a date — your birthday is a good choice.

Feb. 9, for instance, when, according to the Florida Times-Union, a Florida man “was arrested … and charged with assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill after Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials say he threw a 3.5-foot alligator through a Palm Beach County Wendy’s drive-thru window.”

But it wasn’t always like this. There was a time in the 1940s and ’50s when Florida was seen as a chic and even elegant place. Miami Beach was where the most beautiful and wealthy people went to be seen, to dance in the moonlight and to drink cocktails. Powerful, cigar-chomping men in good suits flashed their brightest smiles — and wads of cash — in an effort to catch the attention of beautiful women in floral dresses. White-jacketed waiters delivered drinks to wide-eyed tourists. Dance bands played, and everywhere there were flowers.

I feel like we need more of that — more white suits and fancy drinks, and fewer fast-food alligator attacks.

Miami Dancehall

2 ounces dry gin – I like Wiggly Bridge

½ ounce elderflower liqueur

½ ounce crème de violette – a violet-flavored liqueur

5 or 6 drops rose water – There is a razor’s edge between being floral and delicious, and tasting like your grandmother’s fancy soap. Err on the side of caution until you find the level of rosiness you like.

½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

¼ ounce simple syrup

Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker. Use a medicine dropper to measure out the rose water.

In the classic 1934 movie The Thin Man William Powell gives a master

class on cocktail shaking to a group of bartenders and waiters. According to Nick Charles, Powell’s character, a well-made cocktail is all about timing: “Now, a Manhattan, you shake to a foxtrot. A Bronx, to a two-step time. But a dry martini, you always shake to waltz time.” He places his properly shaken martini on a waiting tray, held by one of the waiters, who serves it back to him. He takes the cocktail and drinks it gratefully, implying that making well-mixed drinks is thirsty work. In a similar vein, tell your digital assistant to play Miami Beach Rhumba by Xavier Cugat. Shake your cocktail to the rhythm. Given the time of year, and our climate, feel free to keep shaking until the outside of your shaker is wet with condensation.

Strain the cocktail into the fanciest cocktail glass you own.

Drink it as you dance around the kitchen.

Gin and lemon lead in this particular rhumba, followed by hints of violets and roses. This is one of those drinks that leave you searching for more of the floral finish, which leads to another sip, and then another, until you realize that you need (a) more excuses in your life to rhumba, and (b) another cocktail.

More rhumbas, fewer alligators.

Rum Runner and Bahama Mama. Photo by John Fladd.

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Dancehall cocktail. Photo by John Fladd.

John FlaDD cooks

flourless chocolate cake

A lot of people seem to be deeply suspicious of my cooking.

I like to cook interesting — and yes, sometimes experimental — dishes. When I try to share them with others, my friends and coworkers suddenly surprise me with previously unknown lactose or gluten intolerances. Worst of all is when I try to give food as a gift:

“Here. Please accept this token of our friendship that I baked especially for you. It was hard work, but I wanted you to have it, because I like you so much.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

If this has happened to you, try this.

flourless chocolate cake

2 sticks (200 grams) salted butter

8 ounces (230 grams) extremely good dark chocolate. Chocolate chips would work for this, but it will be better with your favorite eating chocolate. Because this is a dense, decadent cake, if you have a hidden stash of Very Dark Chocolate hidden somewhere, that would be a good choice for this.

1¼ cups (250 grams) brown sugar

1½ cups (125 grams) unsweetened cocoa. If you have Dutch process cocoa, that would be even better; it is less acidic.

2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla paste –a tablespoon of good vanilla extract will work for this, too.

¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) kosher salt

6 whole eggs

Heat your oven to 350º (175º C)

Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan, and cover the bottom with parchment paper. (Easy “cheat” method for cutting a round of parchment paper to size: Fold a square of parchment paper into quarters, then in half, diagonally, to make a triangle. Fold the triangle in half, to make a sharper angle. Keep doing this until you can’t fold the paper anymore. Measure out half the diameter of your pan from the tip — in this case, four and a half inches — then cut across the triangle. Unfold the sharp end, and it will be an almost perfect circle the exact size of your pan. Actually, it will be a pentacontagon — a 50-sided polygon — or something, but close enough to a circle for our purposes.)

Over low heat, brown the butter in a small saucepan until it is the color of a tweed coat and smells nutty. Set it aside. Break your chocolate up into small

pieces, and place it in a plastic or glass mixing bowl. Melt it in your microwave, stirring it every 20 seconds.

Whisk the brown butter into the melted chocolate. Normally, adding a liquid to melted chocolate will make it seize up, but browning the butter has not only added flavor to it but also cooked off its water content.

Whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the cocoa powder into the mixture, and whisk to combine. Cocoa powder, like cinnamon and some other dry ingredients, is hydrophobic, which means that it doesn’t like to mix with wet ingredients. Even though there isn’t any water in your mixture anymore, there was a small amount in the eggs. You will have to force the issue with your whisk.

Bake for 40 minutes, remove from the oven, and let it cool for at least half an hour before unmolding it. Your house will smell amazing.

Serve with a truly injudicious amount of whipped cream.

This is a very, very dense and decadent chocolate cake. It is earthy with cocoa flavor, but the brown butter and brown sugar give it a subtle butterscotch background. A small slice at a time will be perfect. For what it’s worth, anyone who normally gets out of trying your cooking by suddenly claiming to have a gluten intolerance will have to find another excuse. For anyone who actually has a gluten sensitivity, this will be a special treat.

Another up-side of this cake is that because it is not very sweet, you might be able to avoid having to share this with young children. Your husband or girlfriend is another matter.

Photo by John Fladd.

oUt For a BitE

at pizza lidoS

Inspired by summertime on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Pizza Lidos (1215 Ocean Blvd., Rye, 380-8400, pizzalido.com) is a new concept specializing in pizza at the beach, but not beach pizza — a key distinction made by owner Giorgia Nagle, who took over the space at the junction of Route 1A and Wallis Road in Rye earlier this summer. “I’m from New York, and so beach pizza around here is very different from what I’d ever had,” said Nagle, who also owns and operates Kooks Cafe & Beach Bar a few hundred yards up the road — both spots are steps away from Pirates Cove Beach. “I wanted a pizza place that you can get takeout from … that [has] just a super, super simple menu with clean ingredients. … I wanted to cater to grabbing and going to the beach, so if you and a friend or your family want to go [have] a little picnic at the beach, you can grab a pizza. Lido is Italian for ‘beach’ or ‘shore,’ so that’s where that came from.” Featuring a takeout window and outdoor patio, the eatery has pizzas available as 14-inch pies, as well as by the slice during lunchtime hours. Its menu is rounded out with a few simple salads, several flavors of artisan gelatos from Gelato Giuliana of Connecticut, and cannolis, prepped in house with ingredients sourced from Brooklyn Cannoli Co. The Scene recently caught up with Nagle to talk about how her first summer has been going at Pizza Lidos, and to learn what items she recommends beachgoers try out when they visit.

How long has Pizza Lidos been around?

[We opened] the first or second week of June, somewhere around there. … People have been overwhelmingly supportive of pizza, [which] I totally underestimated. It’s been way bigger than the first year of Kooks, so it’s been really great.

What makes Pizza Lidos unique?

I think that we are doing more of a Neapolitan or New York-style pizza rather than a Greek or New England-style, which I think also has a time and a place, but this is just a little bit different in the area. … We get our dough from It’ll Be Pizza, which is the Portland Pie Co., and it’s just a really fantastic dough that is unlike a lot of dough around here. … I’m trying to bring some of that New York influence here, and just make it a little bit more simple.

What is your favorite thing on your own menu?

I like the tomato pizza, and maybe the panzanella salad. … The tomato pizza is [a] 100 percent extra virgin olive oil-based [dough], with garlic, mozzarella and then blistered baby tomatoes, sweet balsamic and fresh basil on it. It’s so good. … The panzanella is kind of a caprese, with bread chunks in as well, and I really enjoy that.

What is something that everyone should try?

Everybody needs to try the pistachio gelato. … Growing up, I was always told that if a gelateria or any kind of shop in general offering gelato didn’t have pistachio, then don’t even bother, because it’s not authentic. … I’m probably … biased in saying this, but

I feel like it’s the Italian standard — if somebody has really good solid pistachio gelato, then you know that the rest of the items on the menu are going to be as authentic as possible.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from Pizza Lidos?

The first person I thought of is so random, but I just love Denzel Washington, and I would be so starstruck. It has nothing to do with pizza — I just literally would be so stoked.

What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?

I would say consistency, and then I would also say problem solving. … I used to joke that every day is Opening Day, and every day

something goes wrong, and there’s a problem. I think [you have to] just be able to stay consistent within yourself and know you’re not going to always please everybody, so be problem solving and resilient every day. … I think those are the keys to continuing to trudge along in this really grueling industry. I’ve gotten to know a lot of really cool people who are other business owners, and they are all great at problem solving.

What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?

You can kind of do whatever you want, and you live at the beach. … I can shoot over to the mountains if I wanted, or I can go down to Boston and go out to dinner at a nice place. I think that’s just really, really amazing.

Courtesy photo.

SUNDAY

Grilled Twin Pork Chops - $11.99

Served with Mashed Potatoes & Veg

MONDAY

Burger Night - $9 Hamburger or Cheeseburger includes lettuce & tomato, additional toppings extra

TUESDAY

Taco Tuesday & Ladies Night

$3 Tacos All Day - 8pm-Close 1/2 Price Drinks for the Gals

WEDNESDAY

Spaghetti & Meatballs - $10.99

Served with Garlic Bread

THURSDAY

Wing Night$11.99

For a Dozen Wings

FRIDAY

Fish n Chips - $15.99

12oz Prime Rib - $26.99

SATURDAY

12oz Prime Rib - $26.99

Roasted Half Chicken - $15.99 with mashed potatoes & vegetable

*Not available 5-8pm daily

Reel original

A look at Newburyport’s arthouse gem

By Curt Mackail

With dozens of Seacoast movie theaters awash with Hollywood blockbuster wannabes geared for mass audiences, a niche market of cinephiles supports a lone movie house showing fine art films — The Screening Room, in Newburyport’s downtown business district.

This little theater with just 99 seats and modern digital projection caters to an audience primarily of film aficionados.

“We’re an art house theater, which means we tend to show American indies, foreign films, documentaries and classics,” said Screening Room co-proprietor Becca Fundis. She and her spouse, Ben, purchased the place in July 2020 from Andrew Mungo and Nancy Langsam, its highly regarded operators through 38 years.

Why would anyone buy a diminutive movie theater while Covid-19 swept the nation and forced theaters of all kinds to go dark?

“We fell in love with it and saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Becca said.

Becca and Ben Fundis are art house cinema devotees who studied film in college and gravitated to each other in 2009 when they worked together at the nonprofit art house Upstate Films theater in Rhinebeck, N.Y. There, in June 2020, a friend told them this small theater with an art house pedigree was closed and for sale. So the couple and son Oscar took a drive east to have a look at the shuttered-up place in a community they’d never before visited.

They inked a purchase agreement in July 2020 even with no apparent hope of re-opening quickly because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The entertainment industry everywhere across the nation faced the same scenario.

Resurrected yet still on shaky ground

The Screening Room came back to life under the ownership of the Fundis family on Oct. 9, 2020. They showed Kajillionaire. Ticket sales were sparse.

“It was a slow climb for the first yearand-a-half once things reopened. Movie theaters had a tougher time coming back to life than many businesses, since the pace of movie production was also affected. We not only had to wait for people to feel comfortable coming back into an indoor space, we had to wait for distributors to start releasing titles that would pull people back in,” Ben Fundis said.

“To choose films, we look toward what’s coming out of festivals, what other art house theaters are programming, and what the distributors who cater to our small subsection of the industry are offering. We program the theater entirely ourselves, and

we watch screeners before choosing, so a lot comes down to personal taste. If we find something particularly moving, artful or informative, we’ll try to make room for it. With one screen, that can be tricky. But it’s a fun and ever-shifting puzzle,” Becca said. Which brings us to The Screening Room’s recent showings of the huge hit Barbie and the other recent blockbuster, Oppenheimer. How did a one-screen bandbox of a theater get two Hollywood films on their first run that together have grossed more than $2 billion?

Barbie on an art-house screen

“We just asked Warner Brothers for Barbie just like we would ask for any movie and they let us have it. The public response was amazing. We thought it might do well, but since we started showing it four weeks into its release, we didn’t think it would sell out. Barbie came out on the same day as Oppenheimer, which we already had programmed for three weeks, so Barbie had to wait,” Becca said.

“But we were wrong about sellouts. In its first week, Barbie consistently sold out the 7 o’clock shows night after night. People got dolled up. It was beautiful. You’d open the doors of the cinema at the end of the show and the lobby would fill with a sea of pink as people exited. For two weeks we were sweeping pink feathers and pink sequins off the floors. It was a hoot. We had a Ken Night, when anyone named Ken got in free, and we cheered them before the show began. That movie made people so happy. It was a blast,” she said.

Plentiful community support

“The greater Newburyport community is incredibly supportive of our little theater. While many patrons tell us that they live just up the street and have enjoyed coming to a cinema they can walk to for years, others tell us they’ve driven in from as far north as Maine and as far south as Boston,” Becca said.

“Newburyport is a great destination for a day trip, so on the weekends we’ll hear from people who are making a movie part of an excursion and who take in everything the city has to offer while they’re here. And it’s not just patrons who are supportive, but we’re lucky to have wonderful collaborators to work with in this community. Newburyport has a fantastic arts scene, so we benefit from being able to work with organizations and businesses like the PEG Center for Art and Activism, Theater in the Open, the Newburyport Art Association, Dyno Records, and with organizations in the city, like the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Alliance, Newburyport PRIDE and Newburyport Youth Services, among so many others,” she said.

a healthy business today

Even though the pandemic hampered their plans in 2020, Ben and Becca remained hopeful and forged ahead. The couple knew they were facing an unknown future with their acquisition, but said their love of independent cinema drove them to take the chance.

“Showing movies to people is just fun. You get to meet an entire community, and you see them repeatedly, week after week. But as the movies change, the conversations do

too. You get to make people laugh, you get to knock their socks off with something impactful, and you get to see them exit the cinema after they’ve been moved to tears,” Becca said.

The Screening Room, 82 State St., Newburyport, Mass. 978-462-3456. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and youth under age 16. Closed Mondays. Shows at 7 p.m. all other days, with matinees at 4:30 p.m., on weekdays and 2:30 p.m., on weekends. Tickets are available for purchase at the box office on the day of the show, which opens a half-hour before the first screening each day. Tickets are not available online, except for special events. Visit newburyportmovies.com.

From a converted storefront that’s offered art house films for some 40 years, The Screening Room is a Newburyport locals’ favorite and a destination for out-of-town cinephiles. Photo courtesy The Screening Room.

The Screening Room owners, Becca and Ben Fundis with son Oscar, in the art house cinema they resurrected in Newburyport. Photo courtesy of The Screening Room.

HOME OF THE KING SHAKE & A CANDY KINGDOM TO EXPLORE

A First Class Beach Dining Experience is Waiting for You!

Your Getaway on the Bay

Seaside DINING Sunset VIEWS Tasty SEAFOOD

209 OCEAN BOULEVARD, SEABROOK, NH • (603) 760-7500 • WWW.ERNIESSEASIDE. COM HOURS: Sun & Mon, Weds & Thurs 11:30am–9pm • Fri & Sat 11am–10p m • Closed Tuesdays 140897

Slow AF Run Club, by Martinus Evans (Avery, 239 pages)

“Finally! A book that centers on the nontraditional athlete,” writes Alison Mariella Desir, one of the authors who wrote a jacket blurb for Slow AF Run Club by Martinus Evans.

Desir must not get to the library much, because there’s actually no shortage of books in this genre, from 2007’s elegant Strides by Benjamin Cheever (John Cheever’s son) to A Beautiful Work in Progress by Mirna Valeria, published in 2017.

But Evans does bring something new to the table, which is a willingness to use the F-word frequently (very popular in publishing these days), and also, he has run eight marathons (including Boston) as a 300-plus-pound athlete, a truly admirable feat. His book promises to be “the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to run,” and by “running” he doesn’t set the bar too high.

Apparently Merriam-Webster defines running as “to go faster than a walk.” So, “As long as your legs are moving faster than when you are walking, then you are running,” Evans says. He believes that the biggest thing keeping people from running is not the physical work of exercise but the mental roadblocks. So he spends the first part of the book offering a sort of runner therapy, with mantras such as “Not everything you think is true, and not everything you feel is real” and “The body you have today is the body that you have today.” He’s also a fan of affirmations, such as “You can do hard things” and “I love hills!!!”

Admittedly, it’s cheesy sometimes. But Evans does offer some more serious self-coaching advice. For example: Delusional self-belief, he says, is what inventors have until they invent something that no one believed possible. At one point, no one thought a four-minute mile possible, or a marathon under two hours. And when Evans weighed 360 pounds and was told by a condescending doctor “lose weight or die,” he had delusional self-belief when he announced he would run a marathon and bought running shoes later that day.

As Evans makes clear, the physical challenges of running a marathon at his size are subordinate to the psychological ones. In one story, he talks about being harassed by a van driver who is on the course to pick up people who can’t keep running. It was his first marathon, in Detroit. Although Evans repeatedly says he is fine to continue, the driver keeps coming back to him, urging him to get in the van and quit, saying things like, “Hey, big man, you’re starting to slow down. Hop in,

I’ll take you to the finish line” and “I’m just doing my job, I can’t help it that you’re fat and slow.”

The driver continued badgering him until Evans was less than a mile from the finish line, which rightly infuriated him. What’s worse is that it almost worked — at one point, Evans hobbled to the van and almost got in before realizing that he could push past the pain and keep going. He did finish, and wrote of the moment, “I felt like I could literally do anything. I’ll never forget that moment, and everything that had come before it, not for as long as I live.”

With stories like this, it’s understandable that Evans feels the need to curse, a lot. And he is a reliable narrator when it comes to the difficulties of running while fat (his choice of word) and he gives decent advice on practical things such as how to deal with chafing, what to wear, what to carry on a long run, how to stretch, and so forth. He also has a rather heartbreaking chapter on “Running While Black,” in which he wrote, “The murder of twentyfive-year-old runner Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 damn near broke me. I almost hung up my running shoes for good because of it.”

But much more of his experience has been positive. In fact, scared as he was to run his first 5K in Cromwell, Connecticut — “a fat Black man wearing a bright orange shirt and shoes … getting ready to run a race in a sea of fit white people” — it turned out great, and he wants everyone to do it.

“Running,” Evans writes, “is a struggle of the mind.” That’s true for thin runners as well as overweight ones. But large runners do face an obstacle that thin runners don’t — judgment — judgment of ourselves, and the judgment of people who see us out on the road. In the face of this struggle, mindset is everything, he says. “Because let’s face it, people be judgin’. Haters are going to hate. There’s always going to be someone telling you to get on the bus.”

That’s a great line, and there are plenty in this book, but it is folksy to a fault, unfortunately. The expletive works in the title and in the running club he founded, but the constant repetition in the book becomes tiresome, as do some of the self-help exercises. (“Write down a habit that you would like to create a ritual for.”)

But I’ve been running for 30 years and am somewhat cantankerous, so maybe that’s great advice for others. Evans is an inspirational runner who has built a strong online community; he has 94,000 followers on Instagram, where he goes by “300poundsandrunning.” He’s a terrific role model for anyone, regardless of age or weight. B- —Jennifer Graham

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (Pg-13)

Two lifelong besties do the kind of brutal (psychological) violence to each other that only two middle school girls can do in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, an Adam Sandler family production.

The girl having the titular bat mitzvah in her friend group’s season of bar and bat mitzvahs is Stacy Friedman, played by Sunny Sandler, the younger of Adam Sandler’s two real-life daughters. His older daughter Sadie plays Ronnie Friedman, Stacy’s older sister, and their genuine sibling chemistry — unwavering support while also threatening to murder each other — is one of many endearing elements of this comedy. Stacy and Lydia Rodriguez Katz (Samantha Lorraine) have long been best friends, planning their spectacular “today you are a woman” bat mitzvah parties for years. But then, as can happen in the seventh grade, there are shake-ups in friendships. Lydia becomes friendly with a group of popular girls. She doesn’t seem to think much of it but Stacy becomes both jealous and eager to get herself included, especially since those popular girls hang out with Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman), the boy who makes the world go slow-mo for Stacy.

At first Stacy and Lydia seem to fit in, but then Stacy has a menstrual product mishap in front of the whole popular-girlsand-cute-boy crowd that Lydia seems to join the populars in laughing at. Horrified, Stacy declares her love for Andy dead — but not so dead that she doesn’t become enraged when she sees Lydia kissing him later. Thus does Stacy shout to Lydia the movie’s title: “You are so not invited to my bat mitzvah.” This seeming break in their friendship does not, however, lead to an end of hostilities between Lydia and Stacy, with Stacy eventually (accidentally) burning it all down over her hurt at what she sees as Lydia’s betrayal.

Adam Sandler plays the Friedman girls’ father, Danny, with his Uncut Gems wife Idina Menzel playing Bree, Danny’s wife

and the girls’ mother. Rounding out the Sandler family on screen is Adam Sandler’s real-life wife, Jackie Sandler, who plays Lydia’s mother, Gabi, in the midst of a divorce from Lydia’s father, Eli (Luis Guzmán). With fun small roles — Sarah Sherman as Rabbi Rebecca and Ido Mosseri as DJ Schmuley, the must-have party DJ — the movie has an overall chummy feel. Lots of good-natured yuks and a general sense of good will toward all. Which is sort of your standard Adam Sandler Netflix fare, except for the young-teen-girl on young-teen-girl angst and destruction and love and loyalty. Those elements have some surprising sharp edges that can take you right back to the lunch room and the kids who are too cool and the close friends with whom there’s been a falling out. And even though the movie knows we know how not a big deal in the scheme of one’s whole life the slights and upsets that torment Stacy are — and how ridiculous her response is — the movie doesn’t belittle the bigness of these kids’ emotions.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is a charmer of a gentle growing-up comedy with just enough “thank God I’ll never be 13 again” tartness to give it some genuine emotional moments. B+

Rated PG-13 for some crude/suggestive material, strong language and brief teen drinking, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Sammi Cohen with a screenplay by Alison Peck and Fiona Rosenbloom, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is an hour and 43 minutes long and is streaming on Netflix.

Author events

• NICK FULLER GOOGINS will discuss his novel The Great Transition at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks. com) on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m.

• CHUCK PALAHNIUK will talk about his book Not Forever, But For Now, moderated

by NHPR host Rick Ganley, in a Writers on a New England Stage event at The Music Hall in Portsmouth (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $18; for each one or two tickets sold, the purchase of a book voucher ($30 hardcover) is required. Vouchers can be redeemed at the event for signed copies.

• TORI ANNE MARTIN launches This Spells Disaster at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.

• CLIF TRAVERS will discuss his short story collection The Stones of Riverton: Stories from a Cemetery at Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com) on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.

t he fan: a lt comedy has a new producer

When it debuted as Laugh Free or Die 15 years ago in the back room of Shaskeen Pub in Manchester, weekly standup was an open mic affair. When cofounder Nick Lavallee and Dave Carter took it over in 2013, it evolved into an alt comedy hub, with national performers like W. Kamau Bell, Kyle Kinane, Dan Soder and Emma Willmann often stopping by. Local comics like Jay Chanoine and Drew Dunn parlayed early open mic success at the Shaskeen onto bigger stages.

Geneva Gonzales began attending shows there around 2016 and quickly became a regular. As live comedy returned after the pandemic, Lavallee announced he was leaving his role as a comedy producer, along with Carter. A worried Gonzales begged him to not let shows end permanently. His response surprised her.

“He was like, ‘Why don’t you run it?’” she recalled while sitting outside the Shaskeen, where headliner Ryan Donahue and three other comics would perform later. “I was like, OK, I will.’” Her company, Ruby Room Comedy, produced its first show on Sept. 8, 2021, and has been operating steadily since.

It turned out that Gonzales was just getting started as a comedy producer.

Last year she was approached by Don’t Tell Comedy , a national effort that sponsors pop-up shows at mystery locations, to be its lead producer in New Hampshire. More recently she began running weekly comedy shows at BLEND.603 , a Portsmouth art gallery. Her new goal is “balancing those three rooms and getting them to work together,” she said.

Gonzales sounds like a seasoned pro as she discusses luring comics from New York City with the promise of routing them to gigs in multiple rooms, but seven years ago she hadn’t even seen live standup.

“I just heard people at work talking about it, and I wanted to see a come-

c omedy

Venues

Casino Ballroom

169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 9294100, casinoballroom. com

The Community Oven 845 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-6311, thecommunityoven.com

dy show,” she said about venturing to the Shaskeen that first time. “I always loved SNL , Mad TV …. When I came to this one, the level of talent opened my eyes to a whole world that I went head over heels into.”

Among the shows Gonzales has booked at the Shaskeen are Eddie Pepitone, Mary Mack, Daniel Simonsen, Mo Mussa, Shaun Murphy, Jenny Zigrino and Andrew Della Volpe. Many have performed multiple times, and the Irish pub’s beloved back room hasn’t lost a step in the transition. It continues to offer a brand of national comedy unlike anywhere else in the region.

Most unique is Don’t Tell Comedy and its unconventional way of luring fans to shows. It’s reminiscent of the movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist , where a couple search for a private location where a band named Where’s Fluffy is playing, but it’s a bit easier than that, Gonzales said.

The next one happens Friday, Aug. 11, an early and late show somewhere in Portsmouth ($25 at donttellcomedy.com), and the 21+ event is BYOB.

“You buy a ticket, but you don’t know who the comics are until the day of show, when you get an email with the location. We’ve done the Bookery, the Currier, yoga studios, art spaces, usually places where you wouldn’t expect to have a comedy show, and it could be a huge comic from L.A. or a local guy.”

As far as her favorite comedians, Dunn and Chanoine are high on the list, but Gonzales is hesitant to name a top moment in her two years as a producer. It’s electricity that’s happened many times.

“When you get those loud moments of laughter, you feel the energy shift in a room of people that are enjoying themselves and letting themselves go,” she said. “There’s no control sometimes when you laugh and there’s that wave … that’s the best thing. I crave it; it’s dopamine for me.”

Gonzales tries to keep an open mind

with her booking. She tries to offer enough variety to please everyone, not just herself. She does try to be inclusive. “As a Hispanic female in comedy it’s been really important to me to promote diversity in my shows,” she said. “In the past we’ve celebrated different cultures with shows that include all Hispanic and all Asian line-ups and I hope to do more in the future.”

She’s also part of a group that runs monthly mental health meetups. These are “conversations about the importance of maintaining mental health and supporting each other in the New England comedy community,” she said. “In past meetings we’ve had guest speakers from NAMI, and guided meditations.”

Through it all Gonzales is still the same fan who showed up at the Shaskeen back when looking for laughter.

“Honestly, I enjoy comedy,” she said. “I’m putting on shows that I want to see, but I try and make sure that I’m getting well-rounded talent. I may not find all of them funny, but I know other people will find them funny. Ultimately I want to put on a good show. As a fan, I have that perspective where I’m play ing the politics that a comedian would need to play ... then at the end of the day, I sit down and watch the show and I’m ready to laugh.”

- Michael Witthaus

The Music Hall Lounge

131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 4362400, themusichall. org

Press Room 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186, pressroomnh.com

Rochester Opera House 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 3351992, rochesteroperahouse.com

Stone Church 5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700, stonechurchrocks. com

The Word Barn 66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 244-0202, thewordbarn.com

Events

• Josh Day/Kathe Farris Word Barn, Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m.

• Pinky Patel Music Hall, Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.

• Bassem Youssef

Music Hall Lounge

Friday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 30, 6 p.m., and 9 p.m.

• Michael Carbonaro Music Hall Lounge, Friday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m.

• Howie Mandel

Music Hall, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

• David Koechner

Music Hall Lounge, Saturday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

• Ben Bailey Music Hall Lounge, Thursday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Geneva Gonzales. Courtesy photo.

t hursday, Sept. 7

Hampton

Bernie’s: Adam Luffkin, 7 p.m.

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Bob Tirelli, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Taylor Hughes, 7 p.m.

L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Smuttynose: Redemption, 5 p.m.; Rob & Jody, 6:30 p.m. Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Lewis Goodwin Duo, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: Kevin Alexander, 8 p.m.

f riday, Sept. 8

Exeter

Shooters: Leo and the Olives, 6 p.m.

c oncerts

Venues

3S Artspace 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com

Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, 888-603-JAZZ, jimmysoncongress.com

The Music Hall 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Steve Sibulkin, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 8 p.m.

L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Clint Lapointe, 1 p.m.; Ryan Williamson, 8:30 p.m.

Smuttynose: Conniption

Fits, 6:30 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler, 3 p.m.

Whym: Steve Haidaichuk, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Paul Warnick, 2 p.m.; MoneyKat, 7 p.m.; Pete Peterson, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Chris Toler, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: Cataldo Clark & Larkin, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept 9

Hampton

Bernie’s: MB Padfield, 1 p.m.

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Clint Lapointe, 1 p.m.; Jodee Frawlee, 8:30 p.m.

Smuttynose: Ryan Williamson, 1 p.m.; Fox & The Flamingos, 6:30 p.m.

Whym: David Corson, 6;30 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Sam Hammerman, 2 p.m.; MMK Delta Dub Set, 7 p.m.; Matt Luneau, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

Salisbury

Black Bear Vineyard: Henry LaLiberte, 2 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: DNA Acoustic, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 10

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Justin Jordan, 1 p.m.

L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Ray Zerkle, 1 p.m.

Smuttynose: Lewis Goodwin Duo, 2 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Jonny Friday, 2 p.m.; Dapper Gents Trio, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Rob Pagnano, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: Redemption Band, 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 11

Hampton

The Goat: Caylin Costello, 9 p.m.

L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Gibb’s

The Music Hall Lounge 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org

Press Room 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 4315186, pressroomnh.com

The Strand 20 Third St., Dover, 343-1899, thestranddover.com

The Word Barn 66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 2440202, thewordbarn.com

Shows

• Lucy Wainwright Roche & Suzzy Roche Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m., The Music Hall Lounge

• Ruthie Foster Thursday, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Damien Jurado Thursday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m., Press Room

• George Thorogood and the Destroyers Thursday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Soul Rebels Friday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Damien Jurado w/Lilly

Miller Friday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m.,

Word Barn

• Blue Skies on Mars/Lovesick Friday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m.,

3S Artspace

• Damien Jurado w/Lilly

Miller Friday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m.,

Word Barn

• Guy Davis Friday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Let’s Sing Taylor (Taylor Swift tribute) Friday, Sept. 8. 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Larry Carlton: Greatest Hits & Steely Dan Saturday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Son of a Gun (Guns N’ Roses tribute) Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Radio Flashback (classic rock tribute) Saturday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m., The Strand

• Lucy Kaplansky Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Radio Flashback (classic rock tribute) Saturday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m., The Strand

The

Portsmouth Gas Light: Tim Theriault, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Good Thomas’s musical bingo, 7 p.m.; Alex Anthony, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: music bingo, 7 p.m.

tuesday, Sept. 12

Hampton

Bernie’s: Chris Toler, 7 p.m.

L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Shane’s: music bingo, 7 p.m

Wally’s: Mike Forgette, 3 p.m.; musical bingo, 7 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Dave Gerard, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 8 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: music bingo with Jennifer Mitchell, 7 p.m.

Red’s: Phil Maurice, 8 p.m.

• Southern Avenue Sunday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nolan Taylor Sunday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Godspeed You! Black

Emperor Monday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., The Music Hall

• Los Lobos Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Music Hall

• Kimaya Diggs Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Press Room

• Jake Manzi Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Press Room

• High Pulp Tuesday, Sept. 13, 8 p.m., Press Room

• The Samples Thursday, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Jill Sobule Thursday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., The Music Hall Lounge

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Hampton

Bogie’s: open mic, 7 p.m. L Street: karaoke, 9 p.m.

Wally’s: Jonny Friday Duo, 3 p.m.; live band karaoke, 8 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Dave Clark, 7:30 p.m. The Goat: Alex Anthony, 9 p.m. Press Room: open mic, 5:30 p.m.

Rochester Porter’s: live music, 6:30 p.m.

Seabrook

Chop Shop: DJ Manny awesome DJ event, 7:30 p.m. Red’s: Ryan Fitzsimmons, 8 p.m.

• Chatham Rabbits Thursday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., The Word Barn

• PROGJECT: The Ultimate Prog Rock Musical Experience Thursday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Mindi Abair Friday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• LoveSexy (Prince tribute) Friday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Niko Moon Friday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Jerron Paxton & Dennis

Lichtman Saturday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Stone Church

• Queens (female pop singer tribute) Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Stone Church

Band Saturday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Press Room

• Amy Speace Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Music Hall

Lounge

• Ween Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• David Wilcox Sunday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Dave McMurray Sunday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Killer Queen Tuesday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Music Hall

• Bonerama Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Yo-Yo Ma Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• Black Veil Brides & VV

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• The Wolff Sisters Thursday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m., Word

Barn

• Vanessa Collier Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Pam Tillis Friday, Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Skerryvore Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Angelina Jordan Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• WailOn (Waylon Jennings/ Highwaymen tribute) Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Blue October Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m., Casino

Ballroom

• Bearly Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Stanley Jordan Sunday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nick Goumas Quartet

Saturday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m.,

Press Room

• Oteil & Friends Sunday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• May Erlewine Monday,

Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Music Hall

Lounge

• Hot Tuna Electric Monday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Music

Hall

• Ben Folds Wednesday,

Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• John Primer Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Ana Popovic Thursday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Stayin Alive: One Night with the Bee Gees Friday, Sept. 29, 8 p.m., Rochester

Opera House

• The Last Revel Friday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Englebert Humperdinck

Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Rod Stewart Tribute

Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Strand

• Dirty Deeds: The ACDC Experience Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Drew Holcolmb & the Neighbors Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Music Hall

• Jonatha Brooke Sunday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Walter Trout Sunday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Will Oldham Monday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m., Press Room

• Oz Noy/Dennis Chambers/ Jimmy Haslip

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke Thursday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Harper and Midwest Kind

Friday, Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Lilli Lewis Saturday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Dancing Dream (ABBA tribute) Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Mandy Patinkin Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Music Hall

a rt

• ART ’ROUND TOWN GALLERY WALK

The Portsmouth downtown area hosts the Art ’Round Town gallery walk on the first Friday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m. (14 Market Square). Explore the art scene in this creative historical community by visiting different art galleries downtown. Visit artroundtown.org.

• Yacht Rock Schooner

Sunday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.,

Jimmy’s

• Acoustic Alchemy

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• North Mississippi AllStars Thursday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Antje Duvekot Thursday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

and social justice issues and new media, with no specific theme. The gallery is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

trivia

• The Weight Band (The Band tribute) Friday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nicole Zuraitis Friday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• The Brubeck Brothers

Saturday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Natalie McMaster & Donnell Leahy Friday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m., Music Hall

Farm Road, Hampton, 4364026, smuttynose.com) at 6 p.m.

• Revolution Taproom and Grill (61 N. Main St., Rochester, 244-3042, revolutiontaproomandgrill.com/upcoming-events) at 6:30 p.m.

• The Thirsty Moose (21 Congress St., Portsmouth, 427-8645, thirstymoosetaphouse.com) at 7 p.m.

Monday

Thursday

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

• Mick Flannery/Jeffrey

• Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m., Music Hall

Martin Thursday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Amythyst Kiah Wednesday, Oct. 4, 8:30 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

Come visit our historic properties filled with a wide variety of antiques, art and collectibles. Our eclectic shops feature over 100 dealers offering buyers a true shopping destination.

• Beth Hart Thursday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Ben Harper Wednesday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

Route

• Red’s (530 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-0030, redskitchenandtavern.com), signup at 8:30 p.m., from 9 to 11 p.m. Hosted by DJ Zati.

Wednesday

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

Dealers welcome • Tax Free NH

• “BIENNIAL ONE” will be on display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) from Aug. 31 through Oct. 1. The exhibit invites artists to showcase their best work that takes creative risks and explores abstract expression, contemporary environmental

Come visit our historic properties filled with a wide variety of antiques, art and collectibles. Our eclectic shops feature over 100 dealers offering buyers a true shopping destination.

• Community Oven (845 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-6311, thecommunityoven.com) at 6 p.m.

• Smuttynose (105 Towle

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

3 Great Shops in One Seacoast NH Destination!

Come visit our historic properties filled with a wide variety of antiques, art and collectibles. Our eclectic shops feature over 100 dealers offering buyers a true shopping destination.

Route 1 Antiques

Come visit our historic properties filled with a wide variety of antiques, art, and collectibles. Our eclectic shops feature over 100 dealers offering buyers a true shopping destination.

- Since 1975106 Lafayette Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 • (603) 601-2554

Dealers welcome • Tax Free NH

www.route1antiques.com

Route 1 Antiques

Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm Closed Tuesdays

- Since 1975106 Lafayette Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 • (603) 601-2554

The Collector’s Eye

www.route1antiques.com

Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm Closed Tuesdays

The

Route

106 Lafayette Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 • (603) 601-2554

www.route1antiques.com

Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm Closed Tuesdays

The Collector’s Eye

- Since 1973 -

Stratham, NH • (603) 772-6205

The Collector’s Eye

- Since 1973Antiques, Collectibles, Gifts

www.collectorseye.com Open Wed-Mon 10am-5pm

The

The Brickhouse

• Mitchell BBQ (50 N. Main St., Rochester, 332-2537, mitchellhillbbq.com) at 6 p.m.

Friday

• Gibb’s Garage Bar (3612 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, gibbsgaragebar.com) from 8 to 10 p.m.

BRAND AMBASSADOR/PROMOTER

PART-TIME, CONTRACT

Do you Love Interacting with People? We have a fun Weekend Gig for you! Stone Fence is looking to grow our promotions team!

We are looking for RELIABLE, outgoing and enthusiastic representatives to sample and advocate for our brands at NH and ME based liquor store tastings. Our Brand Ambassadors will promote brand awareness and drive sales through live featured product demo’s/ tastings. The ideal candidate represents Stone Fence’s values of unique and authentic products through sales and customer engagement. This is a great opportunity for anyone with a flexible schedule looking to make extra money! **Must be at least 21 years of age to apply.**

Tastings are typically 2 hours. Pay: $30 per hour.

ABOUT STONE FENCE BEVERAGE

We represent local and craft-oriented brands. Stone Fence was formed to support craft spirit makers who don’t have the recognition of national brands, and therefore tend to be dismissed by big name distributors. Our mission is simple: To promote the authenticity of craft spirits, and introduce cool and unique brands to our audience. www.stonefencebev.com

Please send us a copy of your resume to krissy@stonefencebev.com 140554

a little bit of moisture can lead to a big price tag

Dear Car Talk:

Is there a simple, easy way to remove considerable moisture from the headlight assembly of my 2014 Nissan Titan? — Jim

headlight assembly is sealed, when the bulb heats it up, the moisture turns into water vapor. Then, when the headlight cools back down, the vapor condenses on the inside of the lens. That’s what you’re seeing, Jim. Or, why you’re not seeing as well at night anymore.

“Steering and steering linkage — lower control arm bushings deteriorated

“Rear shocks leaking — recommend shocks.

“Alignment recommended — recommend with lower control arms.”

your car to the new shop and ask them to check it out stem to stern for you. Tell them you’d like to know about anything that needs to be done right away, as well as things that may need attention at a later date.

By Ray Magliozzi

Yes. Replace the headlight assembly.

There are two things that happen that allow moisture into the “sealed” headlight unit.

One is that the seal between the clear lens and the body of the headlight starts to break down. The second way moisture gets in is that tiny cracks develop in the plastic lens itself over time. And in either case, when you’re driving at 70 mph in the rain, a small amount of water gets forced inside the headlight unit.

Imagine your house when it’s hit by a hurricane with 70 mph winds and rain. If there’s a leak anywhere in your house, that water’s going to find its way in, right?

So, water’s getting into your headlight assembly. It’s probably not much water. But it doesn’t take much. Because the

So, you need a new headlight fixture. And you’re not going to like the price. Modern headlight fixtures -- even if they’re just halogen bulb fixtures like yours is -- can cost $600 or $700 and up. We always have the smelling salts ready when we break this news to our customers.

The more popular cars have aftermarket options, which are hundreds of dollars less. So definitely ask your mechanic to check for aftermarket headlights for your Titan. I’ll bet there are some.

If you get really desperate, you can also buy a used one. Maybe it’ll have a little less moisture in it than yours.

Dear Car Talk:

I have a 2015 Mazda 3 sedan with 43,400 miles. I took the car to the dealer for a routine oil change and tire rotation and was told I needed three things:

The quote for this extra work was about $2,300. So, I want to know, Ray, does this sound legit or am I getting upsold? — Linda

It’s important to have a mechanic you trust, Linda. And you don’t appear to trust these guys.

If you truly need all that stuff done, the price is in the right ballpark. But I don’t know if you need it. And more importantly, you don’t feel confident that you need it.

So, my suggestion is to use this as an opportunity to find a mechanic you can really put your trust in. Start by asking friends and family or use your social networks to ask if anyone has a mechanic in your area that they really love. Some people do.

If you don’t turn up a good lead that way, go to www.mechanicsfiles.com and search for mechanics with multiple, good recommendations. Then take

See if they say you need lower control arm bushings and shocks. Honestly, to me, it sounds pretty early to need those things. But without seeing the car, I can’t say for sure.

But another mechanic can. If your second-opinion mechanic says the same thing as the dealer, then you know you can trust your dealer. That’s valuable information, right?

And if the second mechanic says the shocks should be good for another 40,000 miles and the control arm bushings look fine, that’d be important information to have, too.

Either way, you’ll feel more confident and trusting going forward. And at least you won’t have to write to some knucklehead newspaper columnist every time you get a repair estimate.

Visit Cartalk.com.

comic con sept. 15-

Beach BUM fUn HOROSCOPES

All quotes are from Chocolate is Forever, by Maida Heatter, born Sept. 7, 1916.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) September 7th Cake … I named this fabulous flourless cake for my birthday so I was sure to have it on my special day. … it is really a fluffy chocolate omelet that settles down like a hot souffle when it cools. You can name the cake whatever you want.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) Traditionally, shortbread is not chocolate. Untraditionally, this is very chocolate. Be untraditional, have fun with it!

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) I am always dumbfounded when someone tells me about a recipe that did not turn out right, and then they casually add, ‘But that might be because I used fewer eggs and baked it in a larger pan at a lower temperature and I used oil instead of butter.’ Might be.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) It is always extremely handy (I think it is a luxury) to have cookies in the freezer for unexpected company: they usually thaw quickly, and many can be served frozen direct from the freezer. Practical luxury for the double win.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) The one question I am asked most often is ‘What do you do with all the desserts you make while writing a cookbook?’ Frankly, we eat an awful lot of them. Of course.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) The following (and all) hot chocolate drinks should be served in well-heated cups or mugs: Fill

the cups or mugs with boiling water and let stand for several minutes before using. It’s OK if you don’t, but nice if you do.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) If brownies are not allowed to stand for the specified time after they come out of the oven, they will squash when you cut them into portions. Let the brownies stand.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) Susan … beat egg whites with a tree branch, in spite of a fantastically well-equipped kitchen. In the country she picked a fresh one as she needed it; in the city, she always washed it carefully and put it away. Not even the internet has ever heard of this.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) In a way, chocolate is like wine — or coffee. It is difficult to say which is the best. Personal preference.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) To me, life’s problems seem less important and easier to cope with while trussing a chicken, chopping onions, kneading a yeast dough, or icing a cake. Knead that dough.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) Many recipes call for folding beaten egg whites and/ or whipped cream into another mixture. … This is an important step and it should be done with care. Know when to fold and when to mix.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) These are the Brownies with which I started my reputation as a pastry chef when I was about ten years old. People who barely knew me, knew my Brownies. And that’s how you get a nickname.

Last Week’s Answers:

jessie t. usher

Rock anD RoLL cRoSSWoRDS BY TODD SANTOS

Just like the ocean under the moon

Across

1. Brand New keeps a caught frog ‘In __’

5. ‘Love Shack’ __-52s

9. Blueswoman Popovic and Matronic of Scissor Sisters

13. Bowie “I’m tethered to the logic of __ Sapien, can’t take my eyes from the great salvation”

14. English rockers that wore angel’s headwear?

15. Modern Family actress Vergara that comes from Colombia w/

Aterciopelados

17. Barenaked Ladies song for vacation memories mailed home on a picture?

20. Aerosmith ‘Falling In Love (__ On The Knees)’

21. Bon Jovi drummer Tico

22. Highball ingredient for backstage bar

23. Repeated word in Tommy James & The Shondells smash

24. Slithering Kings Of The Sun rocker?

28. ‘Don’t Ask Me’ John Lydon band

(abbr)

31. ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ __ Boys

32. Paul Carrack 70s band

33. Like Third Eye Blind’s ‘Charmed Life’

34. Happened ‘In The Life’ of John and Paul

35. Mike Chapman’s co-writer/producer Chinn

37. ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ Redding

38. Metal band named after Cairo’s river

39. Dedicated lines

40. “That __ black magic woman, she’s tryin’ to make a devil out of me”

41. Collective Soul “Let’s mingle, and make it well” song

42. Demonstrators publicly objecting to music

45. ‘Piano Man’ Billy

46. Norah Jones asks ‘What Am __ You?’

47. George Strait said “__ My Heart”

8/31

S UD ok U

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through

and hope to die

50. ‘Shine’ Daniel that produces U2 also

54. Santana “Ain’t got nobody” song

58. Ted Nugent, when spotting a target

59. Ska punkers __ Big Fish

60. ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ producer Rundgren

61. New Zealand reggae artist Tigilau

62. Drifters/solo soul singer __ King

63. Charge card for Amazon albums

Down

1. “Bingo! I remembered that name of the artist!”

2. Female folk icon Mitchell

3. ‘God’ Tori

4. ‘Just Like Paradise’ David Lee

5. Dandy Warhols ‘Catcher In __’

6. Quarterflash smash ‘__ My Heart’

7. 70s prog-rockers (abbr)

8. Usher/Alicia Keys sang ‘My __’ for their love

9. Audioslave will wait for us there like this

10. Iconic Bob Marley song ‘No Woman __’

11. Van Halen sees better with glasses ‘From __’

12. Ramones 70s label

16. New album spots or these in magazines

18. John Popper plays them

19. Meatloaf duo partner in ‘71

23. Santana covered ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’ originally sung by this Jagger

24. ‘Sexy’ Beatles-inspired James Taylor song?

25. Metallica debut ‘Kill __’

26. Actress/standards singer Martha

27. Musical term for silence

28. Guitar great Green

29. Phish “So many moments that we should have shared, __ you”

30. Singer Marie Presley

31. Smash Mouth ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ album ‘Fush Yu __’

33. London part Phil Lynott went ‘Solo In’

35. Cage The Elephant ‘Ain’t __ For The Wicked’

36. Former Generation X, then solo ‘Dancing With Myself’ singer Billy 40. ‘Mind, Body, & Soul’ Joss

42. Not-that-good show-offs

43. Dexy’s Midnight Runners told her to ‘Come On’

44. Set list song that’s a mainstay 45. ‘She’s A Lady’ Tom

47. Morcheeba ‘Rome Wasn’t Built __ Day’

48. Bob Dylan “She dropped a __ into the cup of a blind man at the gate”

49. Morcheeba ‘__ Wasn’t Built In A Day’

51. Your video gets played __

52. Bryan Adams “Everything __ do it for you”

53. Spear Of Destiny ‘__ Law’ was for backyard turf pieces, perhaps 55. Trippy/ambient UK pioneers, (w/”The”)

56. Randy Rhoads ‘Blizzard Of Oz’ instrumental

57. Non-disclosure agreement (abbr)

© 2023 Todd Santos. Todd’s new book Rock and Roll Crosswords Vol. 1 is available now on Amazon.

9. Answers will appear in next week’s paper.

Puzzle a from 8/31

Puzzle B from 8/31

Puzzle B

Puzzle a

BY MATT JONES

“Words of Longing”— or, just some long words across.

19. Exigency

20. First Lady after Lady Bird

21. Paintball sounds

27. Deg. for a grad student in film studies

28. Option to go straight to the game

32. Phrase that might introduce bad news

34. Garden gastropod

35. Steamed

37. Like some caulk or baking sheets

42. It’s usually only accessible by plane or boat

43. “Srsly” preceder, maybe

46. New England nine

47. Calgary-to-Edmonton dir.

48. Nighttime sound

50. Number associated with the musical “Six”

52. Where to find Merlin

60. Green New Deal focus

61. Well-crafted speech, perhaps

Down

1. Heads of England?

2. Quick sellers, proverbially

Across

1. “There’s nothing left to add”

16. Era that Historic Williamsburg is supposed to represent

17. “Come see what life is like over here”

18. Fed a line

3. Alaskan chain

4. Act like a sot

5. Author Blyton of “The Famous Five” series

6. Pulitzer winner ___-Manuel Miranda

7. Rested

8. Chess rating system

9. Rotating piece

10. Author Tan

11. Just out

12. Supplement ingredient

13. Fathered, on a ranch

14. Roman-___ (novel genre)

15. When repeated, “eh, you get the idea”

20. Performer of a surprise 2012 hit

21. “Santeria” rock band

22. Personal and vacation days, in the office

23. Bud of Bud

24. Stuff on a wall

25. Antidiscrimination law of 1972

26. Polite Indian titles, way back when

29. “Why Can’t I?” singer Liz

30. Private eye, at times

31. University in Quebec City

33. French vessel for preparing an herbal brew

36. “2 Broke Girls” star Kat

38. Chip shop option

39. Some NHL endings

40. Prefix in some music genres

41. Pres. from Denison, Texas

43. Busy place in Chicago

44. Gourmet mushroom

45. “I’ve ___ idea” (“Beats me”)

49. Cavs’ home court, once

50. Hawk

51. Disney CEO Bob

53. Cute anime-inspired emoticon

54. “Insecure” star Issa

55. “Son of,” in Arabic names

56. Prefix in some music genres

57. School gp.

58. Took command

59. Peptic start

Sat

Bloody

© 2023 Matt Jones 8/31