Finding New Hampshire’s First Farm to Table

I thought about stabbing her hand. I went to all the trouble to bring her to the first certified farm-to-restaurant in New Hampshire, something I knew she would geek over, and she was hoarding all that yummy pomodoro sauce like New England was running out of tomatoes.

We were on a back-to-roots mission: exploring a new part of the country while focusing on local and family-run fare. This trip wasn’t about a specific checklist but a chance to slow down and experience a place. So Bestie and I had just landed in Manchester, ready for our extended weekend of restoration. The plane pretzels didn’t cut it. We were famished. With the farm-to-restaurant mission in mind, one place shone out. Republic Café.

What Farm-to-Restaurant Means in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a fascinating place. As the young Boston friends we met later said, “It’s more conservative. But liberal. Ya know?” And the answer is no, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around New Hampshire.

But one of the state’s character clues must be in the commitment of the Farm-to-Restaurant Connection. As the New Hampshire Public Radio said, a walk around the larger cities of New Hampshire will have you “dodging sidewalk chalkboards hawking local ciders, squashes, and cheeses.” Farm to table is on-demand and everyone is trying to deliver.

Concerned with the gimmicky buzz of “farm to table”, a New Hampshire group decided to define the process and give us what we’re really looking for. After all, you can take a sprig of rosemary grown on your porch, throw it in a dish from the other side of the country, and call it farm to table.

So this group of farmers, chefs, dietitians, and food advocates decided to channel their passion for quality local foods. They wanted to help farms stay viable and protect the state’s rural heritage. And they wanted people to get great food from right down the road.

The movement started slowly at first. In the early 2000s it was much like a matchmaking club, bringing together local producers and chefs. The dinners were successful; people wanted more. So they took it to the restaurants themselves.

NH Farm-to-Restaurant Connection is a voluntary certification program. Restaurants get points for the variety of ingredients that are local, how local they are, and how often they’re offered. At this time only 15 restaurants in the state have opted to get their grade. And the first one certified, the maker of this stab-worthy arancini: Republic Café.

Introducing Republic Café – Manchester, NH

While the limoncello martini was refreshing without being sweet, I think I liked the Bee’s Knees best. And I sipped and contemplated the honey and lavender of the cocktail instead of stabbing Bestie and taking the sauce.

The place is unassuming from the outside (Bestie quietly doubted me yet again.) But it was hopping still at 1:30 on a Friday afternoon and the chalked out specials signaled the crowds that had already passed through.

It was all tasty, but true to the farm to table movement, it was the simplest dishes that left an impression. A chef in Rome once explained to me that Italian food was the best in the world because of the quality of ingredients. She urged me to get dishes with the fewest ingredients. “We don’t need many. Not if they’re quality.”

And that perfectly explains what is going on with this Mediterranean style bistro.

Before they even opened the owners of Republic Café were meeting with farmers and sourcing food. And to this day, whenever they can, that’s what they’re still doing. They work with 75 farms within 50 miles (check their board for who has supplied your ingredients.) Only fresh fish are in the specials, with the name of the boat that caught them on the board. All meats are humanely raised and vegetarian fed.

It’s so local in fact that our server Andrew, clearly a connessouir, was actually one of the growers providing produce. He was confident and unassuming, and his recommendations were hit after hit. With a little prying, we discovered that he and his wife had done some wwoofing around the world before settling down a bit with a garden and a greenhouse. “You are Plot 44?!” It’s a rare thing to be served by someone who also helped grow the food.

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The Takeaway

The first takeaway was that apple and caramel cake. (Andrew was right about that too, it was even better just a little warmer.) But there are three more things to keep in mind.

1. Fly into Manchester. I snuck it in there, but Manchester is an affordable and convenient gateway to a New England trip (Southwest points deliver another deal!) Avoid the Boston congestion.
2. Stop at Republic. Simply, it’s tasty. But on another level you know that it, along with the other 14 restaurants, are truly committed to both New Hampshire and farm to table quality. Sustainable agriculture. Quality ingredients. Community connection.
3. Anything with the pomodoro is worth your while. So I’ll confess. We came back the night before we flew out. Twice in 72 hours: that’s when you know you liked it. And the Neopolitan Eggplant (lightly breaded, flash-fried eggplant, pomodoro sauce, ricotta, and pesto) was definitely worth brandishing the fork in defense.

Have you been to one of the certified-farm-to-fresh restaurants in New Hampshire? Follow us on Instagram for updates on a journey through all of the members!

May the road rise to meet you, travelers, and may you always have enough sauce to share.