VACATE…TION: LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND
Leaving on a jet plane, on the road again, cruising, climbing every mountain, Hotel California or homeward bound this summer? With friends, family, soon to be acquaintances or solo? The Co-Rockers have a few morsels we’d like to share to make the most of your break, respite, intermission or vacation.
Please note, these are mere suggestions and should be taken
with a grain of salt on the rim of a margarita.
· Unplug the tube, pick up a book: Ok, dating ourselves, but you get the point. And we mean a physical book, one you can dog ear, bookmark, and smudge with those sun screened hands. Head to the local bookstore, library, borrow from a friend and immerse yourself in drama, romance, history, biography, fiction and good old trash. No judgement here! Nanci’s reading Kelly Ripa’s “Live Wire” hilarious, real and raw collection of personal stories. Terri's reading "The Guest List" by Lucy Foley, set on a remote island, filled with secrets, motives & murder - a great whodunit!
· Skip the workout dressed in Lulus, Dance in your PJ’s: This one is easy peasy. Toss the form fitting spandex for your bedtime ensemble. Maybe you break out those Lanz flannel pajamas and dance like it's 1979!
· Toss the umbrella, embrace the rain: Invigorating, refreshing and delicious! Level it up with a full on shower in the rain, soap, shampoo and don't forget to stomp in the puddles!
· Roll down (ok press the button) the car window, sing loudly: Long trip, short trip, in traffic, we don’t care as music soothes the soul!Extra cookie points if someone is riding shotgun!
· Turn off the phone, turn on the peace: No need for guided meditation, find peace in the quiet. The Co-Rockers recommend a half hour a day.
· *ALERT, SENSITIVE MATERIAL, FAMILY MEMBERS STOP HERE
· Power down the A/C, Power up the heat: We leave this to your imagination and positioning…
And remember, enjoy every sandwich.
STEPPING OUT WITH THE CO-ROCKERS
Way back when in 2019, The Co-Rockers happened upon Gusto Italian Café in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. It was there that we met Elaina and Nick who shared their delightful “how we met story”. No app or swipe was responsible for the pairing. Boy meets girl on a train to Florence, boy is crocheting, girl laughs… and the rest is culinary history. We shared our personal food journey with them while they regaled us with their focus on offering authentic Italian fare. Right out of the gate we were bowled over by the pizza made with fresh ingredients, homemade focaccia, specialty bomboloni, breakfast sandwiches and outstanding coffee. Upon our return in 2021, Gusto expanded beyond the café with a market offering imported Italian goods, wine selection, antipasti and desserts. You can imagine our surprise upon our visit this past week, when we learned that Gusto Italian Café expanded with a full blown restaurant and Taphouse with an exclusive relationship with Notch Brewing from Salem, MA. Elaina and Nick have transformed this small harbor town and have provided residents and visitors with exceptional authentic Italian culinary fare. This past week, The Co-Rockers sat down for dinner at Gusto Taphouse and let’s just say that the vibe was rockin!
Gusto Taphouse receives the OOR Lovin’ It Seal of Approval from The Co-Rockers.
Food: Delicious. The Co-Rockers shared a margherita pizza, perfect thin crust and fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. Our table mates (yes, related) enjoyed the Bolognese and the homemade pork and beef meatballs.
Staff: Attentive, overwhelmed and smiling and we mean that in a good way. It’s great to see a café and restaurant with young staff that appear to look as if they are grateful and love their summer jobs. The restaurant was over flowing with people and given the options of where to sit, outside, taphouse, inside, upstairs…everyone was accommodated despite the lack of menus!
Ambience: Fun & Lively. If you want a romantic, quiet meal, order takeout from the market, light a candle and eat at home.
The pour: We had wine, there was no line on the glass, pour was reasonable.
Portions: You can share the pizza, meatballs and Bolognese were enough for one individual but we were told very filling.
Bottom Line: Take a day trip, just 2 hours from Boston (with NO traffic) it’s worth the view of Lake Winnie and the food. The Co-Rocker promise.
LIVE AND EAT FREELY, DO NOT DIET IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Wrap City Potato Chips
Wrap your arms around these chips! Made in Londonderry, NH out of the first Wrap City Sandwich Company, these potato chips are a blend of slightly sweet and salt and incredibly addictive and dare we say the chips made in our fair state of MA, take a back seat to these homemade kettle chips. The window dressing on the packaging reveals perfectly browned chips that taste as good as they look.
POPZUP
The Co-Rockers came across POPZUP on a sales trip to identify natural food stores in New England. The attractive large brown bag, with a call to all natural, non-GMO ingredients, and family-owned biz, caught our attention. The sweet cream butter and sea salt flavor had us at hello. We had the honor of meeting the owners and creators, Julie and Marty and their son, Nolan Lapham at the New York Fancy Food Show in June of 2019. Not the first time at the food rodeo, having founded a line of pesto sauces in 1995. If you’ve ever been to the Fancy Food Show you’ll know the pace is frenetic and the days long, the Nolans were loving every minute of it, super personable, engaging and open to hearing about our story. The long and short of it, the Nolan’s have taken Orville Redenbacher’s quote to heart, “Do one thing and do it better than anyone.” Check them out as they are POPZUPping up everywhere!
Moulton Farm: THE PIES!
Moulton Farm in Meredith, NH has been providing locally grown food since the 1890’s. We’ve enjoyed their produce and baked goods over the past decade, but it’s the pies that keep hitting us in the face. Perfectly flaky, buttery crust with a not too sweet fruit filling and just the right amount of tartness. Terri’s absolute fave is the apple pie sans the a la mode. Seriously it doesn’t need it. Nanci is a self-described pie snob and according to family lore, she consumed a 9-inch strawberry rhubarb pie for 7 days straight. Hence eat freely or diet, she chose the latter. Oh, did we tell you that Moulton Farm also harvests and sells vegetables… and did we mention the donuts?
SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
Aerosmith can trace its humble beginnings to Sunapee, NH where Steven Tyler and Richard Perry met, while Perry was working at a burger joint. Then off to Allston, MA…
“For to be social is to be forgiving”, Robert Frost,
"New Hampshire"
XOXO The Co-Rockers!
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