A Look Back at NH Magazine's Best New Restaurants

To celebrate the13th edition of Best New Restaurants, our food editor takes a look back at her former picks.

October 17, 2017

Susan Laughlin,

Looking Back
Our annual Best New Restaurants issue is here, and I thought it would be fun to reflect back over the last 12 years to see which of the past years’ best (or hot, as we once called it) survived the change of tastes, economy dips and the owner’s whims and pocketbooks.
-Susan Laughlin

Here is the roundup of those featured from 2015-2016:

Those with asterisks and bold remain up and running, some with new owners.

2005

*Takumi, Nashua
*New London Inn Several changes of chefs and owners
French Bistro, Milford One of the most missed restaurants. Space was used briefly by the Seedling Café.
55 Degrees, Concord The former chef, Cory Fletcher, now has his own Revival Kitchen & Bar in Concord, which is included in the 2017 Best New Restaurants.
Little Louie’s Fish House, Dover Owner Jay McSharry has since opened several other restaurants, including the very popular Moxy in Portsmouth.

2006

*Buckley’s Great Steaks, Merrimack
The Dunaway, Portsmouth The space gave way to Mombo
Carpaccio, Hanover The space is now the home of Base Camp Café
Commercial St. Fishery After several more iterations, the space is no longer a restaurant.
*Giorgio's Ristorante & Bar, Milford
*Lemon Grass, Moultonborough
*Hanover Street Chophouse

2007

Ciao Baby, Manchester The space has become Mint Bistro
Brazo Closed in January of 2017 and is now the Clipper Tavern
*Popovers on the Square, Portsmouth This successful eatery now has another location in Epping.
*Tim-Bir Alley, Littleton A sweet bistro that is surviving with the times.
Intermezzo, Peterborough The space is now an Irish pub.
Coe House, Center Harbor Now Lavinia’s
Z Food & Drink, Manchester Chef Tom Puskarich now runs Restoration Café in Manchester, the former Z space was once N’awlins, and is now Lorena’s Cantina.

2008

*Epoch Restaurant, Exeter Epoch has had several executive chef changes but is going strong.
Four Restaurant, Portsmouth This space became Cure
Damian’s On the River, New Boston The space is now Sliders of New England
*900 Degrees, Manchester This Neapolitan pizzeria now has a second location in Epping.
*Holy Grail Food & Spirits, Epping Their newer location in Laconia was recently closed, but the original restaurant remains open.
Aylmer’s Grille at the Woodbound Inn, Jaffrey The space is now The Grove at the Woodbound Inn.
Blue Trout Grill, Keene This beautiful space in now a Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza.
Nonni’s Italian Eatery I can’t find evidence of any of the Nonni’s surviving.
*Cork’s A Wine Bar, Bedford Village Inn

2009

Sunny’s Table, Concord The space recently gave way to Chef Cory Fletcher’s Revival Kitchen & Bar in Concord
*Ichiban, Concord
*O Steak & Seafood, Concord
*Mint Bistro, Manchester Under newer ownership
*Firefly, Manchester
*Ignite, Manchester Under newer ownership
*XO, Manchester
Cantine, Peterborough Cantine gave way to new owners who opened Bantam Grill
Wine Thyme, North Conway This short-lived place is now Frontside Grind Coffee Roasters.
*Stella Blu, Nashua Survives under new ownership
Adria, Nashua The space now O’Brien’s Sports Bar.
Estrabrook Grill Many places have come and gone in this location, which is now Arbor Restaurant, owned by the folks from The White Birch function hall in Hudson.
Common Man, Portsmouth Now Domo Japanese Restaurant
*Wolf’s Tavern, Wolfeboro

2010

*Mombo, Portsmouth
Kiki’s, New Boston Now open as Molly’s Tavern, and has undergone several changes of ownership.
*Republic, Manchester
Chef’s Table, Portsmouth The constant road repair on State Street doomed the location, now for lease.
Rustic Leaf This space is no longer a restaurant, but chef/owner Josh Enright moved on to Robie’s in Hooksett.
106 Kitchen, Portsmouth Owner Jay McSharry reopened this space as Moxy with Chef Matt Louis.
*Tavern 27, Laconia
Lucia’s Tavola, Brookline The Ayer, Massachusetts, location remains open.
*Bavarian German Restaurant, Hooksett
*Homestead, Merrimack

2011

*Tuscan Kitchen, Salem Other locations have opened in Portsmouth, Burlington, Massachusetts, and will open soon in Boston’s Seaport district.
*Tek-Nique, Bedford
*Hooked, Manchester New owner
Mint Bistro, Manchester New owners
Delux This space now Gale Motor Co. Eatery
*Mint Bistro Sold to new owners
Terra On Main, Bethlehem This building is no longer a restaurant.
Crush, Nashua This is now Pigtale with new ownership, but using the same wood-fired pizza oven
*Waterhouse, Peterborough
*Surf, Portsmouth
*The District, Portsmouth

2012

Bonta, Hampton This space is now Chuck Rolecek’s C.R.’s The Restaurant.
Surf Sushi, Portsmouth Space open only for events.
Poppers at the Mill, Newmarket This is now the Joinery Restaurant.
Napa East, Nashua This space is now an Elks lodge.
Unums, Nashua This space is now Taj India.
*Stages at One Washington, Dover
Neville Pereira’s Sizzle, Molly’s and Divots on the Green All are under new ownership.
*Bantam Grill, Peterborough
11Eleven, Manchester This is now Gale Motor Co.
*Martingale Wharf, Portsmouth
*Demeters Steakhouse, Portsmouth New owners
*Hungary Buffalo, Loudon
*Local Eatery, Laconia

2013

*Salt, Wentworth Hotel, New Castle
Red Sauce Ristorante, Nashua Space is no longer a restaurant
Moonbeam, Lancaster Now the Granite Grind Coffee & Tea
*Pine, Hanover Inn
HIghstreet Farmhouse, Goffstown This popular restaurant recently closed by chef/owner over leasing agreement.
Graze, New London This is now a Tucker’s location.
N’awlins, Manchester Recently sold and is now a Mexican restaurant, Lorena’s Cantina.
Mixteca Grill, Durham Now another location for Lexie’s burgers.
*Eagle Mountain House, Jackson
BluAqua, Amherst Plans to relocate failed, and the space remains empty.