Resident Sharon Finley and her dog Zeke relax at their home on Cass Street.
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thesquarenh.com
Spring/Summer 2016
An example of classic entrepreneurship with a modern twist can be found in Gallagher’s Place Plaza where, less than a year ago, Papa Wolf Supply Co. had its grand opening. Featuring locally made leather wallets and a motorcycle-packed Instagram feed, its rough image is enhanced by the old brick buildings. “It’s a little more gritty out here,” says owner Rian Bedard, best known in town as the owner of the grassroots compost company, Mr. Fox. Bedard has capitalized on a new wave of marketing — selling history. In a concrete room that once held coal for the Frank Jones Brewery, now you can get a haircut or straight-razor shave from Jamie Fournier, the Frank Jones Barber. Across from Papa Wolf is a 25-year-old staple, Bob’s Broiled Chicken, opened by Robert McDonough when “the West End was much rougher.” Baby pictures of the now-grown McDonough children line the walls while next door, relative newcomer Street decorates with bicycle-wheel lamps and graffiti-covered tables. The Button Factory provides an industrial backdrop for this area that is a true example of Portsmouth’s melting pot; an area where a dry cleaner and a craft beer cellar can co-exist. Here, old meets new. Around the corner from the plaza, Darleen’s Sub and Pizza changed hands a year ago, adding Vietnamese cuisine to the menu and “Bahn Mi’s” to the sign. The new proprietor Nikki Nachampassak returned to her hometown to do what she loves — cook her family’s recipes. “If you’re in Asia, there’s no cooking school. You just learn it from your grandmother, your mother and everyone else.” She serves generous samples of the Phat Si Ew while Darlene Rahn, the original owner, rolls out her famous pizza doughs in the back. Here on Islington, away from the hustle of the downtown, the pace of change is still set by locals. It is locals and not façades that determine the personality of a town. At a time when downtown Portsmouth has replaced hardware stores with souvenir shops, when townhouses sell for more than a waiter could hope to make in a lifetime, it seems that artists, families and the original generation that built this town have taken refuge in its outskirts. And there they remain, forming focus groups, starting up businesses and assuring us that the historically colorful spirit of Portsmouth hasn’t faded — it’s just moved further West. p