BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL

They quit their jobs -- one of them literally two days before we sat down together -- to run a BBQ food truck full time. Nick and Ben of Sigs Kitchen BBQ out of Fremont, New Hampshire are two brothers who turned a pandemic cooking hobby, a gaming username, and a leap of faith taken in memory of their mom into one of the most talked-about food trucks in New Hampshire right now. In this episode, we get into all of it: • Where the name "Sigs" actually comes from -- a gaming alias, a firearms manufacturer near Nick's house, and a skull-and-crossbones Discord logo nobody expected to see on a food truck • How their mom's love of pigs ended up permanently on the back of the truck -- and why BBQ felt like the right way to honor her • The wing competition they entered just to get their name out -- and accidentally won • What it really looks like running a BBQ business with your brother -- the good, the disagreements, and why it took longer to name the truck than to pick out the trailer • The olive potato salad customer who ate two servings of a food he hates, their home base in Methuen Mass, and why their award-winning habanero jerk wings are outselling everything in Massachusetts This is the kind of episode that is Beyond the Plate all the way. FIND SIGS KITCHEN BBQ: • Facebook: Sigs Kitchen (their main platform -- follow for weekly schedule) • Instagram: @sigskitchenllc • TikTok: @sigs.kitchen • Home base: 224 East Street, Methuen, MA -- Thursday through Sunday when not on the road • Events booked April through October 2025 -- check Facebook for weekly locations SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW BEYOND THE PLATE Find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH New episodes every Tuesday -- hit the bell so you never miss one 🔔 SPONSORSHIP: This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New England's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:11 - Welcome: two brothers show up in Sigs Kitchen gear 1:13 - Find them on socials 1:29 - Life right now at Sigs Kitchen: chaotic. Good chaotic. 2:00 - Before the truck: 20 years retail, 15 years fabrication 2:27 - A pandemic, a smoker, and a YouTube channel begin 4:45 - Mom passed -- and the leap of faith changed everything 5:09 - Custom trailer built in Georgia -- 8x20 with smoker on the back 6:18 - Officially full-time food truck owners (last day: two days ago) 6:30 - Where does "Sigs" come from? 8:35 - Why BBQ -- and the pig tribute on the back of the truck 10:37 - The wing competition they didn't think they'd win 11:29 - "You guys don't think you're as big as you really are" 14:37 - The smoker IS on the truck -- pellet vs. stick debate 16:42 - Carol's Red Arrow consistency weave-in 17:53 - "We fight a lot -- but that's what brothers do" 😂 18:02 - Half Dominican, half Italian -- two different roads, one truck 19:50 - Real business disagreements: the great name debate 😂 26:22 - Walk up to the truck -- full menu breakdown 28:27 - The brisket melt: their top-selling sandwich by far 32:27 - The olive potato salad customer 😂 34:08 - How a rain-soaked Taco Tour led to NH ComicCon 38:22 - 332,000 Facebook views in 90 days 40:32 - NH vs. Massachusetts: wings sell twice as fast in Mass 44:31 - "We bought a new truck yesterday" 46:51 - Home base: 224 East Street, Methuen MA -- Thu-Sun 55:42 - They sold rubs before they even had the truck 56:54 - $3k in rubs at Christmas -- shipped across the US 58:46 - ⚡ LIGHTNING ROUND 1:01:33 - Booth or counter: Mission Impossible 😂 1:01:45 - Red Arrow at 2am -- three very different answers 1:02:05 - They have an actual theme song 1:02:44 - One word. Sigs Kitchen. Five years from now. 1:03:47 - "We set out in remembrance of our mother"

When Phil Meyer first got online during the COVID lockdowns, he found people trashing New Hampshire food. His response? Prove them wrong. That mission -- plus a conversation that happened right here at Cask and Vine in Derry -- turned into New Hampshire Eats, a Facebook group now 200,000 members strong. Carol sits down with Phil at Cask and Vine for one of our At the Plate episodes -- out of the studio and right inside one of NH's favorite spots. In this episode: • How NH Eats grew from 4,000 to 200,000 members and why the no-negativity rule was everything • The full circle moment: the original founder handed Phil the group right here at Cask & Vine • How Nourish New England was born from COVID conversations and what it is doing for food insecurity in NH • The NH World Christmas Market -- 80 vendors, 12,000 people, all volunteers • "NH Eats is not just for reviews" -- Phil on what it is really for • And yes -- Phil is a HUGE Red Arrow Diner fan 🍳 Find Nourish New England: nourishne.org Find NH Eats: search "New Hampshire Eats" on Facebook Cask & Vine: caskandvine.com | 1 East Broadway, Derry NH NOTE: Carol misstated the website as "nourishnh.org" during the outro. The correct website is nourishne.org -- see pinned comment below. Subscribe to Beyond the Plate with Carol on YouTube 🔔 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @beyondtheplatenh New episodes every Tuesday -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 TIMESTAMPS - 0:00 -- Intro + Carol at Cask & Vine 0:57 -- Phil intro + NH Eats hits 200,000 members 1:17 -- The full Eats network (New England Eats, RI Eats, Maine Eats, Vermont Eats) 2:33 -- COVID lockdowns origin story 3:41 -- "I set out to prove people wrong about NH food" 3:58 -- The Cask & Vine handover story -- it happened right here 4:30 -- Why Phil chose this place + Cask & Vine history 5:14 -- Winery, distillery, brewery -- Cask & Vine does it all 5:50 -- Server Zoe + drink orders 😄 6:02 -- Phil's old-fashioned has a story behind it 12:02 -- The no-negativity rule -- why it matters for NH restaurants 15:31 -- Why NH Eats goes hard for small businesses 33:11 -- "This is just volunteers" -- the Nourish New England team 38:02 -- Phil reveals he is a HUGE Red Arrow Diner fan 🍳 38:14 -- How Nourish New England got started 39:17 -- What food insecurity actually looks like in New Hampshire 42:49 -- The NH World Christmas Market origin story 1:07:08 -- Poutine Fest and what's coming up for NNE 1:17:57 -- Lightning round ⚡ 1:35:03 -- Phil is a super taster -- the maple syrup story 😄 1:35:34 -- Anything we didn't cover? 1:36:53 -- "NH Eats is not just for reviews" -- what it's really for 1:37:24 -- "You get more with honey than you do with salt" 1:37:40 -- Phil thanks the Beyond the Plate community 1:38:22 -- Phil wants to come back for more episodes

He built three of Manchester's most talked-about spots from scratch -- and now he's opening a fourth. Dan Haggerty, co-owner of Industry East, Stashbox, and Moka Pot, sits down with Carol Erickson to talk about how a dishwasher at 14 ended up building one of the most creative small business empires in downtown Manchester. In this episode: • The traveling mixology business that became Industry East -- and how it almost looked completely different • The hot dog that saved the liquor license (and became their most iconic menu item) • Why a cocktail guy decided to open Manchester's first dry bar -- and what the sober-curious movement actually looks like from inside the industry • The Moka Pot expansion and what Dan says makes Manchester's small business community unlike anywhere else • Running multiple concepts within 2,000 square feet -- and what it takes to hold it all together FIND DAN & HIS SPOTS: Industry East -- 28 Hanover St, Manchester NH | industryeastbar.com | @industry.east.bar Stashbox -- 866 Elm St, Manchester NH | stashboxnh.com | @stashboxnh Without -- coming soon to 8 Hanover St, Manchester NH (Manchester's first dry bar) Moka Pot -- 8 Hanover St, Manchester NH Subscribe to Beyond the Plate on YouTube so you never miss a conversation like this one. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @beyondtheplatenh Find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH --- This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 0:00 -- Intro 0:20 -- From dishwasher to front of house at 15 1:44 -- What kept pulling him back to the industry 2:57 -- Guest plug: Industry East, Stashbox, Without, Moka Pot 3:32 -- The traveling mixology business origin 5:28 -- When the traveling business became a real place 6:15 -- Meeting Jeremy Hart and building Birch on Elm 7:22 -- The decision to become an owner 9:10 -- Building Industry East during COVID 10:38 -- The 18-seat design and what makes it work 11:09 -- Mixologist vs. bartender (Dan has thoughts) 😄 12:24 -- Dan and Jeremy's roles: "He's the cocktail guru, I'm the loud one" 13:03 -- How the Industry East menu came together 15:45 -- The hot dog that saved the liquor license 16:49 -- Carol's eggs benedict hot dog visit 19:03 -- Over 300 wieners of the week 23:25 -- The charcuterie board and the quality philosophy 28:03 -- Why Stashbox happened 29:01 -- Finding the "cursed" Elm Street building 31:38 -- Red Arrow sponsorship 32:07 -- The Without dry bar -- how it started 32:29 -- Is Dan alcohol-free himself? 😄 33:07 -- Why the NA movement is real and not a trend 37:38 -- "It's cool to be sober now" 38:04 -- The real reason Without will work 38:34 -- How close is Without to opening? 39:07 -- The Without menu: Hawaiian chef, Polynesian fusion 41:50 -- Moka Pot: the expansion and the vision 45:07 -- Running multiple concepts across 2,000 square feet 47:26 -- Baby Penelope and balancing family with the industry 49:29 -- The wiener of the week right now (Banh Mi) 50:26 -- Supporting local restaurants right now 51:01 -- Lightning Round 54:54 -- Closing: what Dan is most proud of 56:34 -- Outro

Jakob Norris built Wicked Tasty from a single food truck into a multi-divisional hospitality company -- food truck, corporate café, full-service catering, a licensed bar program called Wicked Thirsty, and a seasonal mountain kitchen at Dartmouth Skiway. He did it in four years. And he did it with almost ten years clean and sober. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on Beyond the Plate. Jakob opens up about losing his dad at 12, how kitchens became his anchor, what it felt like the day he chose recovery, and why second chances are at the core of everything he builds. In this episode: • How a real estate agent with a truck and a dream launched Wicked Tasty • What "New England Classics with a twist" actually means -- and the food behind it • The Dartmouth Skiway partnership and what it takes to run food and beverage on a mountain • Building Northman F&B Co. as a parent company -- and what comes next • Why Jakob hires the way he does, and the 19-year-old who became his full operations manager • The NHLRA Roaming Kitchen of the Year nomination -- and the moment with Dante from Dead Proof Pizza FIND WICKED TASTY & NORTHMAN F&B CO. Wicked Tasty Food Truck -- wickedtastytrucks.com Northman F&B Co. -- northmanhospitality.com Follow on Facebook: WickedTastyTruck for their weekly schedule Instagram: @wickedtastytruck If this conversation hit you -- subscribe to Beyond the Plate on YouTube, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @beyondtheplatenh, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. New episodes drop every Tuesday at 7am. 🔔 -- This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner -- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 Timestamps: • 0:00 -- Intro • 0:18 -- Carol's food truck visit -- the fluffernutter story • 1:21 -- What is Northman Food and Beverage Co.? • 2:34 -- Growing up in Plymouth, MA and Salem, NH • 3:10 -- Clam digging with dad, foraging, and the kitchen that raised him • 4:25 -- Losing his dad at 12 and how food became the anchor • 5:05 -- First kitchen job at Murphy's Tap Room, Manchester • 6:15 -- How Wicked Tasty started -- a real estate agent with a truck • 7:03 -- "Just something in me told me to say yes" • 8:36 -- Carol weave-in: 39 years, 4 locations, what consistency really means • 9:14 -- "New England Classics with a twist" -- the Wicked Tasty philosophy • 10:09 -- The Dartmouth Skiway partnership -- how it came together • 13:26 -- The NHLRA Roaming Kitchen of the Year nomination • 14:35 -- "Real recognize real" -- the Dante moment 😄 • 15:12 -- What "Northman" really means • 16:04 -- Choosing recovery -- almost 10 years clean and sober • 16:15 -- "Everybody's worth something" -- second chances philosophy • 17:14 -- Carol's halfway house story at the Red Arrow • 20:08 -- "I knew that if I didn't, I was going to die" • 20:59 -- Sponsorship: Red Arrow Diner • 21:06 -- Building a team that grows -- transparency, patience, investing in people • 23:38 -- The 19-year-old who became full operations manager • 24:31 -- Walking up to the truck -- what to expect • 25:18 -- The menu: 603 Burger, spicy chicken, short rib poutine, specialty grilled cheeses • 29:15 -- The deep-fried fluffernutter -- how it's made • 29:54 -- What success looks like for Northman F&B • 31:36 -- The stabilization phase -- building slow and smart • 31:40 -- Why New Hampshire • 32:41 -- Wicked Thirsty -- the bar company with a caterer's liquor license • 34:01 -- Running multiple concepts -- staffing, strategy, and the on-call team • 36:03 -- How the commissary kitchen happened • 37:30 -- The ice machine moment 😄 • 38:00 -- What keeps him going when it's hard • 39:26 -- "If you don't quit, that's how things change" • 40:27 -- The Passport Giveaway -- Black Friday prizes • 41:14 -- Lightning Round • 43:38 -- You're at the Red Arrow -- what are you ordering? 😄 • 43:46 -- Closing question -- what are you most proud of? • 44:22 -- Outro -- go find Wicked Tasty and Northman F&B

She produced an Emmy-nominated food show, visited hundreds of restaurants across New England, and then -- at 65 -- did something nobody saw coming. Helen Ryba is the founder of Green Envy Wellness on Elm Street in Manchester, NH -- part art shop, part craft classroom, part community gathering space. Carol sat down with her right inside the shop for one of the most fun, warm, and surprising conversations Beyond the Plate has ever had. In this episode: • How a gnome tree class went viral -- 512 people, 32 sold-out classes in two months • The $10,000 American Express grant that built the Green Room • Why Helen charges local artists only 20% commission -- and what that means for Manchester's creative community • The bracelet that says "I love me" on one wrist and something else entirely on the other • What Helen and Carol have in common -- two women who built community spaces and never slowed down Find Green Envy Wellness: • 377 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101 • greenenvywellness.com • Instagram: @greenenvywellness • Facebook: @greenenvymanchester New episodes of Beyond the Plate with Carol drop every Tuesday -- subscribe on YouTube so you never miss one. 🔔 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @beyondtheplatenh and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Find everything at linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH -- This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner -- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 TIMESTAMPS • 0:00 -- Intro • 0:22 -- Starting fresh at 65 • 1:21 -- The Chef's Plate years • 3:10 -- Helen was Carol's very first guest • 3:53 -- Red Brick Publishing and Ryographics • 4:11 -- How Green Envy was born • 5:16 -- Why women need this space • 5:37 -- The shy ones make the best art • 6:18 -- Cheerleader for older women • 7:08 -- Carol's Angels Sewing store 😄 • 8:05 -- Walk me through the front door • 8:32 -- Voted best of the best by the Hippo • 10:47 -- Art Institute of Boston grad • 11:03 -- What surprises her most • 12:31 -- The gnome tree class goes viral • 13:03 -- The $10,000 grant and the Green Room • 14:37 -- The bracelet reveal 😄 • 19:47 -- How she finds local artists • 26:24 -- Is everyone creative? • 27:08 -- The Moth Man dragonfly 😂 • 29:14 -- Two rules of every class • 29:38 -- The ice breaker question 😂 • 31:35 -- Classes that surprised her • 33:02 -- Candle pouring and the bead bar • 34:09 -- The intention spell jar • 34:54 -- The love spell that worked too well 😂 • 36:27 -- Censy Box origin story • 41:43 -- Lightning Round • 51:47 -- Closing

New Hampshire's hospitality industry sends $340 million to state coffers every year -- and most legislators still don't give it enough credit. Mike Somers has spent 17 years making sure that changes. In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, Carol Erickson sits down with Mike Somers, President & CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association (NHLRA) -- the 106-year-old organization that fights for every restaurant, hotel, bar, and hospitality business in the state. Mike started as a busboy in Central Florida, worked his way up through every job in a restaurant except owning one, spent years as General Manager at the iconic CR Sparks in Bedford, and walked into the NHLRA CEO role in November 2008 -- right into the Great Recession. He's been fighting for the industry ever since. In this conversation, Carol and Mike cover: • The cocktails-to-go bill that just passed -- and what it actually means for NH restaurants • The quiet battle that saved NH restaurant owners millions of dollars (most don't even know it happened) • Why restaurant margins are only 3-5% -- and what the public still doesn't get • ProStart: high school students cooking three-course menus on two butane burners -- and NH's team at nationals right now • The workforce shortage, AI, automation, and what NH hospitality looks like in 10 years NEW HAMPSHIRE LODGING & RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION 16 Centre Street, Concord, NH | nhlra.com | (603) 228-9585 Subscribe to Beyond the Plate with Carol on YouTube so you never miss an episode. New episodes every Tuesday. 🔔 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @beyondtheplatenh Like, comment, and share -- every single one helps us keep bringing you conversations like this one. This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 8. TIMESTAMPS • 0:00 - Intro • 0:46 - Welcome Mike Somers • 1:52 - From busboy in Florida to NH restaurant GM • 3:10 - CR Sparks Bedford -- and the Craig Anderson connection 😂 • 3:53 - Joining NHLRA in 2008 -- straight into the Great Recession • 4:18 - For-profit to nonprofit: selling a concept vs. a meal • 5:06 - NHLRA founded 1919: "A little older than the Red Arrow" • 5:47 - What the NHLRA actually does day to day • 7:31 - 1,000+ members, staff of four -- how do you hold that together? • 8:21 - Mid-show guest plug: find them at nhlra.com • 9:04 - Cocktails to go: what just passed and what it means • 12:00 - COVID and the NH hospitality industry survival story • 14:31 - Carol: "We had to close our third shift" • 15:00 - The Rally for NH Restaurants campaign • 16:20 - What drives Mike after 17+ years • 18:58 - Red Arrow Diner sponsorship • 19:02 - Is there real camaraderie among NH competitors? • 19:45 - Stars of the Industry -- Carol's favorite NHLRA event • 21:02 - "There's no money in it" -- the 3-5% margin reality • 22:09 - ProStart: building the next generation of NH hospitality • 24:06 - Pinkerton Academy at nationals in Baltimore right now • 25:32 - The workforce trajectory: housing, culture, messaging • 27:11 - What surprised Mike most: working with 27 board members and legislators • 29:06 - AI, automation, and the future of NH hospitality • 29:53 - The best restaurant/hotel in NH right now (Crown Tavern shoutout) • 30:36 - Carol weave-in: 39 years, 4 locations, NHLRA membership value • 31:04 - "I'm available 24/7" -- Mike's cell is open to every NH operator • 32:39 - Before the lightning round: anything else people should know? • 33:52 - ⚡ Lightning Round • 39:12 - Outro + where to find the NHLRA

Tom Boucher turned down a full scholarship to Villanova to wait tables. He never looked back. In this episode, Carol Erickson sits down with Tom Boucher -- CEO and majority owner of Great NH Restaurants, the family behind T-BONES, Copper Door, and Cactus Jack's. Forty years. Nine restaurants. Over $1.5 million donated back to New Hampshire communities through FEEDNH.org. And on this episode -- a brand new concept he's never talked about publicly. We get into: • The Villanova scholarship he turned down to stay in restaurants • How the Copper Door got its name -- drawn on a cocktail napkin at Shorties in Bedford • March 13, 2020 -- the day Governor Sununu called and Tom furloughed 600 people • Losing his business partner Mark Fenske after 40 years together • FEEDNH.org -- $1.5 million given back to NH nonprofits and counting • The I-95 Granite Counter bid and the Plump Tomato -- a concept revealed here first CONNECT WITH TOM & GREAT NH RESTAURANTS Website: GreatNHRestaurants.com FEEDNH: feednh.org Instagram: @tbonesnh | @copperdoornh | @cactusjacksnh Tom personal: @tombouchernh SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW BEYOND THE PLATE Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol Follow on Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh Follow on Facebook: beyondtheplatenh Find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: @carolsew24 New episodes every Tuesday. Like, comment, share -- every one helps us keep bringing you conversations like this. 🔔 --- SPONSORED BY --- This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL --- Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:41 - "Did you say Boucher?" 😂 1:07 - Great NH Restaurants overview 1:31 - Turned down Villanova for restaurants 2:58 - Server to GM -- how fast it happened 4:05 - Getting bit by the hospitality bug 4:38 - "Everything is figureoutable" 4:58 - Been on Carol's old radio show -- why come back 6:38 - Buying out the founders New Year's Eve 2007 7:32 - Borrowed $3M, economy tanked in 2008 7:54 - The Copper Door concept is born 9:09 - New Hudson T-Bones up 75% year-over-year 9:33 - The formula: big restaurants on highway exits 11:32 - The cocktail napkin that became Copper Door 12:59 - "Pull with passion" and the original napkin 13:33 - Building Copper Door -- the design story 15:56 - Opening T-Bones Concord during COVID 16:04 - March 13, 2020 -- the call from the governor 17:45 - Testifying before the state legislature 19:10 - Building T-Bones Concord with the steel up 20:18 - Ribbon cutting with photoshopped politicians 😂 21:15 - Losing Mark Fenske 22:24 - Buy-sell agreements -- a lesson for small business owners 23:26 - Introducing FEEDNH.org 24:53 - $1.5 million given back to NH nonprofits 25:26 - How FEEDNH vets nonprofits 26:23 - What drives the commitment to give back 27:18 - Carol: proud as a fellow NH business owner 28:35 - Emma Fraser: hostess to running FEEDNH 29:22 - "Made from scratch" -- the people too 30:29 - Chef Nicole: made from scratch 30:53 - Inside the Great NH Restaurants home office 32:42 - How decisions flow across three different brands 33:17 - The three-legged stool (borrowed from Disney) 34:32 - Closing for holidays -- giving managers their lives back 37:23 - "I'm 61... your dad is 85 and ain't going nowhere" 😂 38:38 - The Granite Counter -- the I-95 bid reveal 40:06 - Copper Door Nashua: LOI in the pipeline 40:33 - Reinvesting in mature brands 41:48 - Lightning Round 42:17 - The CBC: $4.95 since 1986 😂 44:28 - Best advice: tell the harsh truth, not harshly 45:17 - At the Red Arrow -- what are you ordering? 45:36 - One word: made from scratch 47:44 - Unreasonable Hospitality book recommendation 48:00 - "The people of NH have trusted T-Bones for 40 years" 48:27 - Outro

He took over a neighborhood dive bar on Wilson Street in Manchester just a few months ago -- and he's running the whole thing solo. One man, one kitchen, and food that's stopping people in their tracks. Mike Ivas grew up in Salem, NH, learned to cook from his grandfather who handed him a chef's knife before first grade, and spent seven years in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory in San Diego before coming home to New Hampshire. When he took over The Alibi Aftermath, he had one goal: prove that a neighborhood bar could serve food worth driving across town for. In this episode we talk about what it actually looks like to run a bar completely solo -- Detroit-style pizza, a French onion pizza that already has a cult following, smoked chicken chili that won a competition at Pat's Peak, hand-cut fries he takes very seriously, and the off-menu burrito moment that says everything about how Mike runs this place. We also get into where he learned to cook, why he came home to New Hampshire after years in California, and what he hopes The Alibi Aftermath becomes for the Wilson Street neighborhood. 📍 The Alibi Aftermath 137 Wilson Street (corner of Wilson & Somerville), Manchester, NH Find them on Facebook and Instagram -- search: The Alibi Aftermath 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! If this episode hit different, share it with a friend and leave us a comment below. --- This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 --- 0:00 - Intro 0:26 - How Mike ended up at The Alibi 1:31 - "I had to pull the trigger" 😂 2:07 - Running the kitchen solo 3:59 - What ownership means to him 5:32 - Peeking out the window for new faces 6:39 - Turning the page on the Alibi's past 7:11 - Karaoke, music bingo, Patriots games 8:00 - Mid-show intro 8:31 - Keeping Mark's onion rings on the menu 10:14 - Potato skins and what makes them different 11:18 - Carol's Alibi dinner story 13:13 - The French onion pizza explained 17:21 - "People come for the food or the vibe -- they come back for both" 17:47 - The off-menu burrito moment 😂 19:17 - What it means to be a neighborhood bar on Wilson Street 20:27 - Earning the regulars' trust 21:26 - Full menu breakdown 22:41 - The chili that won at Pat's Peak 🏆 23:51 - Red Arrow Diner sponsor read 24:11 - Where Mike's cooking really started 24:53 - His grandfather, a chef's knife, and why food stuck 26:22 - First job at Canoby Lake Park 27:15 - Seven years at Cheesecake Factory in San Diego 30:03 - What brought him back to New Hampshire 31:37 - Manchester Country Club and the road to The Alibi 32:01 - Where he sees The Alibi in 2-3 years 36:13 - What he wants people to know about him 37:03 - Building a team, making people feel seen 40:01 - What surprised him most about owning a bar 😂 43:12 - Lightning Round 46:00 - Last meal on earth: pizza 🍕 46:51 - Closing

She grew up along the Mexican border, learned to cook by watching her mom, and has been feeding her New Hampshire community for over 30 years. In this special Cinco de Mayo episode, Carol invites her friend of 15+ years, Silvia Boissonneault, into her personal kitchen to cook together -- and the result is one of the most real, warm, and delicious episodes of Beyond the Plate yet. Silvia walks Carol through making pastel -- a layered Mexican lasagna made with corn tortillas, chile verde chicken, homemade salsa verde, poblano peppers, and Oaxacan cheese. Along the way, they talk about what Cinco de Mayo actually means (hint: most of Mexico doesn't celebrate it the way we do), the foods Silvia grew up with along the Texas border, what it was like finding Mexican ingredients in New Hampshire 34 years ago, and the beautiful, unexpected life she has built here with her husband John, her three daughters, and her grandchildren -- including her daughter Sarah, who keeps her heart full every single day. This is a new format for Beyond the Plate -- and Carol's kitchen has never smelled better. In this episode: • Silvia's journey from the Mexican border to Manchester, NH • How she learned to cook -- calling her mom for every recipe after she got married • What pastel (Mexican lasagna) is and how to make it from scratch • The real history of Cinco de Mayo -- and why most of Mexico doesn't celebrate it • The truth about birria, menudo, and the foods Americans are just now discovering • Her daughter Sarah, Special Olympics, and the family that fills her kitchen with love 📍 Beyond the Plate with Carol -- Carol's Kitchen, Manchester, NH 🔗 Find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. 📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner Facebook: Red Arrow Diner TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro & welcome to Carol's kitchen 0:38 - What are we making? Pastel -- Mexican lasagna 0:56 - Silvia's story: growing up along the Mexican border 2:09 - Who taught Silvia to cook? 2:49 - "When I got married, I didn't even know how to cook eggs" 😂 3:05 - Making the salsa verde from scratch 5:39 - Charleston the dog crashes the episode 😂 9:11 - Finding Mexican ingredients in NH 34 years ago 11:22 - How Carol and Silvia met 16:56 - Mexican food traditions by season -- Christmas, Cinco de Mayo, September 16th 20:33 - The birria conversation -- why it's suddenly everywhere 24:48 - Assembling the pastel layer by layer 28:22 - Meet the family -- three daughters, three grandkids 30:51 - Sarah and the Special Olympics 37:46 - The REAL history of Cinco de Mayo 46:00 - What Silvia wants people to know about Mexican culture 49:56 - Lightning Round 54:45 - Cutting into the pastel -- the reveal 55:19 - "Provecho!" -- Carol takes her first bite 54:45 - Cutting into the pastel -- the reveal 55:12 - "Provecho" -- the Mexican word for enjoy 55:34 - Carol tastes it -- "That is delicious"

Sue Pappalardo came back -- and she came back with a lot to say. Sue is the owner of Aunty's Italian Kitchen, an Italian food truck based in Salem, NH, and she was first on Beyond the Plate back in Episode 19. A year later she's got a full season under her belt, a bigger event calendar, new menu items, and an idea so good Carol was ready to place an order on the spot -- a jar of her dad's slow-simmered sauce... with a meatball hiding inside. In this episode: the jarred sauce update and the secret meatball idea, what year two feels like vs. year one, how the team has grown (husband Paul, brother, nephews Luca and Domenic), what happened when she cooked for a room full of Italian women at the ladies lodge, new menu items including rice balls, chicken cutlet tenders, and meat pie as a permanent staple, why she started a food truck at 65 while everyone else was talking about retirement, and a detour through the North End, Modern Pastry, and the man who holds the Prince Spaghetti recipe. First time finding Sue? Start with Episode 19 -- that's where the story begins. 📍 Aunty's Italian Kitchen -- Salem, NH & surrounding areas 🔗 auntysitaliankitchen.com Instagram & Facebook: Aunty's Italian Kitchen | TikTok: @auntys_italian_kitchen This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. All 4 locations open around the clock -- swing by Manchester, Nashua, Concord, or Londonderry whenever hunger hits. From pancakes at 2am to fries and gravy for breakfast, they've got your cravings covered. Red Arrow Diner -- New Hampshire's favorite 24-hour diner tradition. Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner | redarrowdiner.com 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 | linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH --- 0:00 - Intro 0:11 - Sue is back -- the repeat guest welcome 0:53 - Year one to year two: what changed 1:29 - The first job that doesn't feel like a job 2:07 - The family crew: nephews, husband, brother 2:44 - Luca: Those women are just like you, auntie 3:10 - The season starts -- first event of year two 3:42 - Cooking for the Italian ladies lodge 4:01 - They all ordered the eggplant parm -- because who wants to make it 5:44 - Peter's Farm update -- fill-in vs. mainstay 6:06 - Booked out: bigger calendar, new events for year two 6:56 - First weekend of May: VFW North Andover, Salem car show, youth soccer 8:06 - Why food trucks are having a moment 9:34 - THE JARRED SAUCE UPDATE -- and the secret meatball idea 10:17 - I freaking love that -- Carol's reaction 11:02 - New menu items: rice balls and meat pie as a staple 12:26 - What is meat pie (sketcha) -- the full breakdown 13:16 - Eggplant parm: Italian ladies approved, now permanent 13:38 - Italian chop still the favorite? Almost 15:33 - Walk me up to ordering at Aunty's truck 16:52 - Where do you see Aunty's after year two? 17:03 - The brick and mortar dream: catering and takeout, not a restaurant 20:05 - Luca vs. Domenic: who does what and why it works 21:25 - I'm auntie but I'm the boss right now 22:54 - Red Arrow Diner sponsor break 23:13 - Chicken cutlet tenders for kids and Thanksgiving catering story 24:33 - How catering grew through the fall 26:18 - Sunday dinners at Peter's Farm: the new plan 28:44 - The hardest part: going from worker to owner 29:37 - Starting a food truck at 65 while everyone else is retiring 30:20 - Her dad visits a diner every single day at 85 31:14 - Carol: selling the sewing store and finding her way back 31:20 - Do you and Paul go out to eat? North End hidden gems 32:41 - Modern Pastry -- the real answer 33:16 - Pagluca's on Palmer Street -- the hidden gem 33:56 - The friend who holds the Prince Spaghetti recipe 35:35 - Lightning Round 35:47 - Biggest mistake year one: overcooking -- cryovac is the answer 36:04 - Booth or counter? Counter, always at the window 36:39 - Most requested item: meatballs and chicken cutlets neck and neck 39:06 - One word for year two: EXCITING 39:54 - Add one thing tomorrow: broccoli sausage white pizza 41:00 - Go-to Red Arrow order: chocolate cream pie with coconut 41:43 - Food truck next to you smells amazing -- barbecue 41:57 - Dead Proof Pizza shoutout 42:31 - Closing: what do you want people to feel in year two? 43:09 - Outro

She spent 25 years as a Director of Engineering in tech. Then chronic illness nearly took her out -- and a plant-based diet changed everything. Kelley-Sue LeBlanc didn't just get better. She built The Sleazy Vegan, one of New Hampshire's most recognized food businesses, four years running. In this episode, Carol sits down with KSL -- as she's known -- to talk about the real origin story behind The Sleazy Vegan: the years of chronic pain, the desperation that led to a plant-based diet, and the moment she laughed herself to tears over a business name that made her daughter cringe. They get into what it means to run a vegan business that actually welcomes everyone (85% of customers aren't vegan), why "better is better" is the philosophy that drives everything, the $80k-to-$150k food truck disaster that led to a ghost kitchen pivot, the Pembroke City Limits chapter, and why she's now setting her sights on national events in 2026. 📍 The Sleazy Vegan Cafe -- 205 N. State Street, Concord, NH Open: Thu-Sat 8am-8pm | Sun 9am-3pm 🔗 thesleazyvegan.com 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate: Find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol on Instagram: @carolsew24  This episode is powered by Red Arrow Diner. All four locations open around the clock -- Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Londonderry. Whether it's pancakes at 2am or fries and gravy for breakfast, Red Arrow has your cravings covered. New Hampshire's favorite 24-hour diner tradition. redarrowdiner.com 📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Red Arrow: @redarrow24diner | Red Arrow Diner on Facebook TIMESTAMPS • 0:00 - Intro • 0:29 - 25 years in tech -- then what? • 1:53 - "Once you do something that makes you afraid for your life, you aren't afraid of anything anymore" • 3:04 - The chronic pain years -- reading the New England Medical Journal for answers • 3:26 - Going keto for 100 days (her Apple Watch said she might die) • 4:04 - The last resort: going fully plant-based • 6:42 - Learning to cook plant-based -- and why plants are never the same experience twice • 9:07 - The Happy Pear brothers from Ireland and the cooking classes that changed everything • 11:17 - The one grocery trip = five completely different meals system explained • 14:09 - "Diversity is strength. It is resilience." • 15:23 - Two weeks in and already feeling better 😂 • 17:11 - The business name origin -- and why her daughter was mortified • 20:37 - Wearing Italian boots to an upscale vegan restaurant (and what happened) • 21:19 - Why "Sleazy" was the perfect response • 22:52 - "Having any kind of judgment or shame associated to it is just not happening on my watch" • 23:04 - "Better is better" -- the perfectly imperfect philosophy • 25:45 - Launching the LLC in 2021 -- and the ghost kitchen that wasn't on purpose • 26:19 - The food truck that went from $80k to $150k overnight (supply chain chaos) • 29:17 - Aggie hits the road -- and Pembroke City Limits comes into the picture • 31:49 - Conquering the skeptics at Pembroke: "On the third bite they're looking at you like you're a witch" • 33:22 - Losing the kitchen space and the bar partnership at the same time • 35:14 - Finding State Street Kitchen -- and opening the Concord Cafe • 37:01 - "I'd love to work myself out of the Concord spot so Traf and I can test drive this brand outside of New Hampshire" • 37:14 - They sold Aggie 😢 • 38:04 - What drives the constant menu creation: "Give me the celery problem" • 38:29 - The six-course seated dinners -- "Vegans of 20 years eating something they'd never had" • 40:18 - Local sourcing: standing up against Big Agra, one seasonal ingredient at a time • 42:00 - "Food as Medicine: Secrets and Lies" -- the monthly wellness series • 44:44 - Four years of awards -- and why it still makes her blush • 45:38 - "Cooking is where you share your heart" • 47:05 - 85% of customers aren't vegan -- and that's by design • 50:36 - Walk us through the front door of The Sleazy Vegan • 52:30 - Secret vegan catering: "You don't have to tell anybody" • 53:50 - This Sunday's menu: berry berry French toast and eggplant steak • 54:39 - Lightning Round ⚡ • 57:46 - "Relief. That's really all we're looking for." • 58:34 - Closing: "I'm doing the black diamond here in New Hampshire"

For 35 years, Ray Duhaime has been quietly helping New Hampshire restaurants stop advertising for other people's brands -- and start owning their own. As founder of Private Label Specialties in Goffstown, NH, Ray created the Arrow Root Beer you order at the Red Arrow Diner, the Moe Java mug sitting on your counter, and the T-shirt with the dictionary definition of "diner" on the back. Most people have no idea who he is. That changes today. In this episode, Carol and Ray go back 35+ years -- from the early days of delivering cases of root beer out of his ex-wife's car, to beating Coke and Pepsi in blind taste tests, to the moment a Red Arrow regular named Moe Couturier grabbed a Sharpie and drew a face on a plain diner mug -- and Ray figured out how to put it into production. They also get into what it actually means to private label your beverages (the FedEx van analogy alone is worth watching), how his daughter Caitlyn now designs all the labels, why his general manager Paul's secret sauce is doing things customers never even see, and Ray's advice from a mentor that stopped him in his tracks: "You can work 24 hours a day if you want to. I don't want to." Oh -- and Carol goes off script at the end to talk restaurants, and they both end up planning a trip to Moo in Boston. You'll want to stay for that. Private Label Specialties -- plspecialties.com | 11 Lance Lane, Goffstown, NH | (603) 669-6632 Follow Ray: Instagram @privatelabelspecialties | Facebook: facebook.com/PLspecialties 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH?  YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate Spotify: Search "Beyond the Plate with Carol" --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 | Linktree: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Proudly sponsored by: Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 | redarrowdiner.com Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

Rick Broussard spent nearly 30 years as the editor of New Hampshire Magazine. Ask him how he wants to be introduced these days and he'll tell you: Grandfather of Eight. In this episode, Carol sits down with one of the most quietly influential people in New Hampshire media and culture. They cover the night a teenage Taylor Swift played the Best of NH Party because Rick said yes (her guitar was bigger than she was), what it actually took to build NH Magazine from scratch, and Granite Orpheus -- a no-budget feature film 10 years in the making that finally premiered in January 2026. They also get into: the garlic cheese grits recipe people ask Rick to bring to things, what a food renaissance in Concord actually looks like, Dead Proof Pizza's Drama Queen (spicy vodka sauce, ricotta, hot honey, cup-and-char pepperoni), why 603 BBQ has people waiting in line for two hours outside, and what Rick thinks outsiders never understand about New Hampshire. Carol shares a story in this episode about Daniel, a student at Perkins School for the Blind, who made a film about his best friend, Carol's son Jesse. If you'd like to watch it, click here: ⁠vimeo.com/23440370? Granite Orpheus is entering the Mill City Film Festival in Manchester NH this spring. Keep your fingers crossed -- and your eyes open. 📍 Granite Orpheus / Resurrection Films 🔗 resurrectionfilms.org 📍 Mill City Film Festival -- Manchester, NH 🔗 filmfreeway.com/MillCityFilmFestival 📍 Dead Proof Pizza -- Clam Shack Derry, NH (Thu-Sun) 📍 603 BBQ -- Concord, NH (moving to Pit Road -- check their Facebook for hours) 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Carol on Instagram: @carolsew24 📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:12 - Welcome to the Beacon -- Rick's back 0:43 - "Grandfather of Eight" -- how he wants to be introduced now 0:54 - Grandfather Rick -- tricking the grandkids into using all the syllables 😂 1:35 - The Bow Times & how Rick got into journalism 2:21 - Building NH Magazine from New Hampshire Editions 3:57 - The Best of NH Party -- dueling Elvises and the early wild years 😂 5:10 - The Taylor Swift story 7:18 - "You never know" -- Carol and Rick's shared NH orbit 7:40 - What retirement actually looks like with 8 grandkids 8:51 - Carol's own experience stepping back from the sewing store 9:24 - Pizza Wednesdays and the new baby in Mississippi 10:15 - Age range: one month to nine years old 10:15 - Let's talk about this movie 10:32 - Granite Orpheus -- how a 3-day experiment became a 10-year film 13:31 - John's parents, COVID, corrupted files -- life got in the way 14:20 - Fiber optic cable finally saves the movie 😂 14:47 - The Orpheus myth explained 16:09 - Penuche's dive bar, Market Days, and chasing Eurydice through Concord 17:41 - Premiering the film -- 107 tickets, the nerves, the payoff 19:44 - Film festivals and what it actually takes to get in 21:57 - The Kevin Bright / Perkins School for the Blind story 26:47 - Kevin Bright texts Carol for Red Arrow desserts 😂 27:15 - What's next for Granite Orpheus 27:31 - Rocking Horse Studio, Alex Preston (American Idol runner-up), and the music video 30:04 - Becoming the house cook: garlic cheese grits & the famous roast 33:18 - Southern roots -- born in Kentucky, raised in northwest Florida 34:16 - Eating out in retirement -- why Rick mostly stays home now 35:33 - Red Arrow Diner sponsorship 35:57 - The NH restaurant renaissance -- a brave industry 37:05 - Dead Proof Pizza -- the Drama Queen and Carol's chicken tender revelation 39:03 - 603 BBQ, the Pit Road move, and the next Granite Orpheus movie location 😂 41:11 - Open till they sell out -- the new restaurant model 42:58 - The Johnny Cupcakes line story -- waited for a t-shirt not food 😂 43:33 - Why making a local film with local talent is enough 45:38 - AI, film, and Rick's alien conspiracy theory 😂 48:44 - Lightning Round 54:04 - Booth or counter at the Red Arrow? 54:17 - Proudest moment: writing his first editor's note for his mom 56:17 - Carol thanks Rick for the NH Magazine editor's pick on the sewing store 58:25 - Best thing about being a grandparent 59:25 - Coconut cream pie at the Red Arrow 1:00:47 - Closing -- watch for Granite Orpheus at Mill City Film Festival

He was Episode 6. Now he's back for Episode 41 -- and a lot has changed. Dante Marino, owner of DeadProof Pizza, was one of the very first guests on Beyond the Plate -- back when he was running pop-ups, grinding it out at Torch, and dreaming of a permanent spot. Since then: Best Pizza in New Hampshire from WUR, Best Food Truck and Pop-Up from NH Magazine, and a Restaurant of the Year win at the NH Hospitality Leadership Awards -- where Bobby Marotte introduced him to the room and Dante gave a speech straight from the heart. In this episode, Carol sits back down with Dante to cover everything: the four-week run at Torch that built serious momentum, the Bonfire flood that forced them out, and how "Mama Lee" Lisa from RigaTony's handed him the keys to Clam Haven during one of the coldest winters NH has seen in years. People lined up in negative 10-degree weather down Island Pond Road. 400 pounds of chicken tendies a week. Open 22 hours. Sold out every time. And then -- the big announcement. Clam Haven in Derry is becoming the permanent home of DeadProof Pizza. A kid from Derry, taking over a local institution, and building it exactly the way he imagined it.T hey also get into online reviews and why they're quietly crushing small businesses, collaboration over competition in the Manchester food scene, the tendies and scratch sauce R&D process, what the new DeadProof space is going to look and feel like -- and what Dante would tell any small business owner going through a setback right now. 📍 DeadProof Pizza -- Clam Haven, Derry NH 🔗 deadproofpizzaco.com 📱 @deadproofpizzaco🎙️ Haven't heard Episode 6 -- Carol Meets DeadProof? That's where it all started. Watch it here first 👇 youtu.be/tlDDL1P0ohw?si=wU-Yjtyu5Cn_NgzN🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Find everything Beyond the Plate: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 | redarrowdiner.comFollow Carol: @carolsew24 on Instagram Follow Red Arrow Diner: @redarrow24diner on Instagram | Red Arrow Diner on Facebook TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro 0:10 - Welcome back, Dante -- Carol's first return guest 0:31 - Episode 6 to Episode 40: a lot has changed 1:08 - The Torch run: what it was like finally having a home 2:37 - The neon signs, skateboard menus & the vibe that clicked 5:21 - The Bonfire flood -- and why Dante stepped away graciously 7:47 - Taran, Fresh AF Bake Shop & being opposite schedules 😂 8:13 - The awards -- Best Pizza in NH, NH Magazine, and the big one 10:26 - Moving home with mom to keep his team paid 12:10 - Bobby Marott calling his name at the NHL Awards -- surreal 14:48 - "I had every reason for this not to work. You can do it." 15:10 - Mid-conversation plug: find DeadProof at deadproofpizzaco.com 15:35 - Carol's Red Arrow weave-in: what real recognition feels like 17:16 - Online reviews & the 3 people who didn't show up because of one comment 19:27 - How does Clam Haven enter the picture? 20:25 - "Mama Lee" Lisa opens her doors -- and cleans the whole place 23:36 - Lines in negative 10° weather down Island Pond Road 24:08 - 150 lbs of chicken tendies to 400 lbs a week -- in January 26:00 - From the trailer to inside Clam Haven -- and pizza finally arrives 26:49 - THE ANNOUNCEMENT: Clam Haven is becoming the new home of DeadProof 🎙️ 30:43 - The vision: neon signs, community art board, after-dark menu & ice cream 32:00 - Surprise nods to Clam Haven planned for the new space 32:58 - Enter: the chicken tendies 34:25 - Gold Fever Dream, Bandit Ranch & all-scratch sauces 36:37 - The Nines Fries: the secret menu item that refused to stay secret 39:11 - Hospitality first -- protecting the people culture through chaos 43:00 - Moving home, six souls on payroll, gas pedal all the way down 45:14 - Before the lightning round: what to say to a small business in a setback 45:17 - "Keep going. Leverage your people." -- Dante's advice 47:27 - Lightning Round: Drama Queen pizza, booth or counter, banana pepperoni 🔥 48:15 - Pancakes or waffles? 51:42 - Stratam Hill Park -- Dead Proof's surprise favorite spot 52:11 - Date night in NH & the Chili's first date story 😂 54:43 - What are you most proud of? 55:26 - "Unreasonable hospitality" -- and Wera Buffett following Dante 56:17 - Closing

Episode 40 of Beyond the Plate with Carol is a little different -- we took the podcast to lunch. 🎙️ Carol Erickson sits down at Firefly Bistro in Manchester, NH with Pamela Provencher, owner of Granite State Escape, and Michelle Chretien from Milestone Mortgage for an afternoon of great food and even better conversation. Go-go bread that will ruin you for bread forever, sourdough French onion grilled cheese with onion jam, beer battered onion rings the size of your face, butternut squash soup, parmesan fries, martinis -- and a whole lot of laughs in between. This is Beyond the Plate "At the Plate" -- no studio, no agenda, just good food and good people.📍 Firefly Bistro – 22 Concord Street, Manchester, NH 🔗 fireflybistro.com🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHFollow Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 This Episode is sponsored by the Red Arrow Diner 📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow The Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

Sir Michael Petrigno has built one of the most loyal followings in New England food content — nearly 100,000 people on Instagram and 98,000 on Facebook — but here's the thing: he didn't start doing videos until 2023. Before that? Just pictures and captions. When he finally hit record, everything changed. He went from 6,000 followers to nearly 200,000 combined. In this episode, filmed LIVE at Red Arrow Diner in Concord, we talk about how he turned daily eating into a full-time operation while still working a full-time job, why he champions hole-in-the-wall spots over trendy restaurants (if a place already has a line out the door, they don't need his help), and what it really takes to post every single day. We also get into the Big Frank partnership (his coworker-turned-video-sidekick), his brutally honest review philosophy, and why he's most proud of changing how people see other cultures — turning "that food looks gross" into "wow, this culture is beautiful." Plus: the grind of making content (2 hours per video, voiceovers recorded in his car with a reflector), how he never watched Anthony Bourdain until last year, why 95% of Boston's North End is overrated, his flexible pricing model ($300 for small businesses, $1000 for corporate), what makes a great diner, and his dream collaboration with Larry David. You'll even catch two Red Arrow Virgin ceremonies. 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday — hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH 📍 What Did You Eat Today, Sir? Instagram: @whatdidyoueattodaysir TikTok: @whatdidyoueattodaysir Facebook: What Did You Eat Today, Sir? --- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food – it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. 📍 Red Arrow Diner – 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Beyond the Plate: Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 🔗 linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner Facebook: Red Arrow Diner TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:12 - Red Arrow Virgin Ceremony #1 0:43 - Meet Sir Michael: 99.5K followers 1:29 - Where to find What Did You Eat Today, Sir? 1:41 - How it all started (January 15, 2019) 2:34 - Started posting EVERY DAY in 2025 2:47 - Not influenced by Bourdain or Guy Fieri 3:20 - Never watched Anthony Bourdain until last year 3:39 - When did it click? Mid-2023 4:04 - From pictures to videos: 6K to 200K followers 4:22 - Facebook explosion: Started September 9th 5:22 - The grind: 2 hours per video 6:30 - Three videos in a day / Felicia's healthy cooking 7:27 - "I want to set the trend, not follow it" 8:40 - Championing small businesses 9:10 - Honest reviews philosophy 10:05 - Big Frank partnership origin story 11:36 - "I'm the low talker, Frank's loud" 12:00 - Balancing entertainment and food focus 14:36 - Pricing model: $300 small biz, $1000 corporate 19:00 - Red Arrow Diner sponsorship 19:25 - What makes a great diner 20:20 - Unreasonable Hospitality book recommendation 21:26 - Lightning Round 22:12 - Gnocchi snob 23:22 - Most overrated: 95% of Boston's North End 23:50 - Most underrated city: Beverly 24:10 - Go-to diner order: Corned beef hash 26:10 - Roast beef three-way (regional New England food) 27:18 - One restaurant for life? Carmelina's 28:03 - Dream collaboration: Larry David 28:23 - Red Arrow Virgin Ceremony #2 (Brazil) 28:54 - 3 more years until he can leave full-time job 29:30 - Most proud: Changing how people see other cultures 30:02 - Championing restaurants outside Boston 31:51 - George Pazito: "Best guy in hospitality I know" 32:27 - Closing

Bob Singer's dad started with 38 used cars after his chicken plant burned down. 60 years later, they sold Merchants Fleet as the 4th largest fleet management company in America — 70,000 vehicles on lease. Now at 74, Bob says he's "in his embryonic stages." He just opened Bravo restaurant, bought the New Hampshire Union Leader, and is being honored as the 2026 Greater Manchester Chamber Citizen of the Year on March 6th. Carol sits down with Manchester's biggest deal maker to talk about losing his son Jordan to cancer at 28, creating Jordan's Dream Fund to help young sarcoma patients afford clinical trials, the Gail Singer Memorial Blood Drive (40+ years running), and how he met Chef Daniel Henry at a bar. Oh, and Carol used to be his nanny!! 📍 Bravo Restaurant – 73 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH 📍 Café at Bravo – 85 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH 🔗 bravonh.com | cafeatbravo.com 🔗 Jordan's Dream Fund: curesarcoma.org 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday — hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate Spotify: Search "Beyond the Plate with Carol" ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food – it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. 📍 Red Arrow Diner – 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Beyond the Plate: Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 🔗 Carol's Linktree: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner Facebook: Red Arrow Diner TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 1:07 - Where can people find Bravo 2:14 - Growing up in Manchester's North End 2:48 - Irving Singer starts with 38 cars (not 50!) 4:03 - "I despise school" - Bob's honest confession 5:00 - Dad bringing home college students for hot meals 5:41 - 38 cars to 4th largest fleet company in America 7:21 - "I was the worst CEO in history" 😂 7:47 - Running a family business with 7 siblings 8:52 - "I'll go warm up the car" - his dad's joke 😂 9:56 - The decision to sell Merchants in 2022 11:17 - "I never wanted to sell" 12:02 - "I'm in my embryonic stages at 74" 13:17 - Losing Jordan at 28 15:52 - Stuart Scott quote: "You beat cancer by how you live" 16:27 - Creating Jordan's Dream Fund 18:44 - Boys & Girls Club - Jordan Singer Youth Enrichment Center 19:02 - Singer Center for the Arts at Palace Theatre 20:17 - "Manchester people are different and special" 21:43 - Let's talk about Bravo 22:19 - Meeting Chef Daniel at the bar 23:07 - "I bought two industries with the highest fatality rate" 😂 24:32 - Walking through Bravo's front door 26:18 - The menu: Chilean sea bass, short rib on a foot-long bone 27:05 - Carol's favorite: the duck duck potato 28:04 - Café at Bravo - bread delivered fresh at 4:30am 29:56 - Sunday brunch coming in April! 32:00 - Carol reveals: "I was your nanny" 32:51 - Shopping on Newbury Street with baby Amanda 33:43 - Advice for family businesses: "Load up on meds" 😂 35:04 - Lightning Round 36:04 - "What would Jordan say?" 36:15 - Closing: "The future seems bright"

50+ years in broadcasting. 700 newspaper columns. Three published books. And he literally wrote the book on the Red Arrow Diner. Carol sits down with Mike Morin — radio legend, Nashua Telegraph columnist, and author of "If These Walls Could Talk." They talk about his wild career journey from Detroit to New Hampshire, the famous Tall Ships prank that got national coverage, being buried alive THREE times for charity, interviewing President Obama, what drew him to write about the Red Arrow's 100-year history, and why candlepin bowling became his unexpected passion. Plus — Mike's book is on sale at Red Arrow Diners through the end of March for just $9.99! 📍 Pick up "If These Walls Could Talk" at any Red Arrow Diner location 🔗 https://redarrowdiner.com/product/if-these-walls-could-talk/ 🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday — hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one! 👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: 🔗 linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food – it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. 📍 Red Arrow Diner – 4 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com 🔗 All Links: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH

George Kokkinos has been feeding Manchester for over 15 years – but Margie's Dream Diner has been a neighborhood staple since 1975. That's 50 years of breakfast, lunch, and community packed into a tiny diner with just 8 booths and 5 counter seats. In this episode, Carol sits down with her longtime friend George to talk about taking over Margie's after being a regular customer for nearly 20 years, the advice Carol's father gave him before he got into the business ("You gotta be a people person, and you gotta sell a lot of eggs to make money"), his mom's spanakopita recipe that flies out the door, the secret ingredient in those legendary potato pancakes (hint: there's bacon in there), and naming Charlie's Homestyle Diner after his late father – a Manchester schoolteacher who just loved going out to breakfast. 📍 Margie's Dream Diner – 172 Hayward St, Manchester, NH 📍 Charlie's Homestyle Diner – 600 Daniel Webster Hwy, Merrimack, NH 🔗 margiesdreamdinernh.com 🔗 charlieshomestylediner.com ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Lawrence, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food – it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. 📍 Red Arrow Diner – 5 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Beyond the Plate: Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol Follow Carol Erickson: Instagram: @CarolSew24 Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner Facebook: Red Arrow Diner 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - George & Carol's 40-year friendship 1:23 - Where to find Margie's & Charlie's 2:18 - The story behind Margie's Dream (since 1975) 3:07 - Margie & Paul – the original owners 4:46 - Paul smoking cigarettes at the grill 😂 5:32 - How George went from electrician to diner owner 6:55 - "You gotta sell a lot of eggs to make money" – advice from Carol's dad 7:50 - Learning to cook from every cook that came through 8:26 - "I have this dream to open a restaurant" – why we're all crazy 9:55 - Manchester's best-kept secret 10:32 - How Charlie's came about (a random phone call) 12:06 - Why it's named Charlie's (after George's late father) 13:05 - George is a breakfast person, Carol is not 14:08 - Running two diners – keeping consistency 15:38 - Greek heritage on the menu – his mom's spanakopita recipe 17:21 - The legendary potato pancakes – what's the secret? 18:26 - Fresh Fish Fridays – Marge would kick you out if you ordered a burger 😂 19:23 - Walk through Margie's front door (8 booths from the Mount Washington boat!) 21:08 - Walk through Charlie's – the grill is right in the dining room 22:08 - Knowing regulars by what they order ("two dropped eggs died") 24:18 - George's father – schoolteacher, breakfast lover 27:36 - Staffing challenges & loyalty 30:01 - What small diners bring to a community 32:12 - Lightning Round 35:50 - Proudest moment – becoming a really good cook 37:56 - Closing thoughts – "Jump in and make it wor

Welcome to AT THE PLATE - a new format where it's just food conversation. Carol Lawrence- Erickson sat down with Brent Marshall (Bikes & Bites) at Granite Tapas & Cocktail Lounge in Hooksett, NH, and they did what they do best: talked about food for 90 minutes straight. No formal interview structure. No script. Just two members of the New Hampshire Eats community connecting over salted caramel wings, dirty martinis, and a shared love of great food. This episode is different. It's casual. It's real. It's just two foodies geeking out about what they love. IN THIS EPISODE: How Brent started Bikes & Bites (motorcycles + Italian sandwiches + Rangeley) Carol's first time meeting Bobby Marcotte from Tuckaway Tavern Why they're both "bar people" and how to skip the wait at popular spots The salted caramel wings at Granite Tapas (and why you need to try them) Italian sandwiches and the "real Italian" from Amato's in Portland, Maine Their favorite NH spots: Tuckaway Tavern, Ignite, Crown, Bravo, Industry East, Amphora, Dante's, Dead Proof, Messy Mike's, and more Carol's Italy trip and why pasta tastes different there The New Hampshire Eats community and discovering new restaurants What it means to be a true foodie Underrated bar snacks (spoiler: it's wings) FEATURED: 🍽️ Granite Tapas & Cocktail Lounge, Hooksett NH 🏍️ Bikes & Bites - Follow Brent Marshall 🥞 Red Arrow Diner - 4 locations across NH FIND BEYOND THE PLATE: 🌐 Website: redarrowdiner.com 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 📸 Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh 🎵 TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate 🎧 Spotify: Beyond the Plate with Carol 🎥 YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol Carol Personal: 📸 Instagram: @CarolSew Red Arrow Diner: 📸 Instagram: @redarrow24diner 📘 Facebook: RedArrowDiner 🌐 Website: redarrowdiner.com 💬 What did you think of this format? Should we do more "At the Plate" episodes with other NH foodies? Let us know in the comments! #BeyondThePlate #AtThePlate #BikesAndBites #GraniteTapas #NewHampshireEats #NHFood #RedArrowDiner #NewHampshireRestaurants #Foodies #NHFoodie #LocalFood #TuckawayTavern #BobbyMarcotte

From corporate attorney to NH Winery of the Year — Amy LaBelle's 4,083-day journey to building one of New Hampshire's most beloved hospitality destinations. In this episode, Amy gets real about what it takes to build something that goes way beyond wine — two award-winning restaurants, a golf course, a holiday light show that draws 80,000 visitors, and a luxury guest house in the works. We talk about: → The moment she knew wine alone wouldn't survive in New England → Why hospitality is "like a theater performance every single day" → Building an all-women winemaking team (only 2% of wineries globally are founded by women) → The fresh fruit initiative feeding hungry kids through End 68 Hours of Hunger → Why you don't have to be a "trust fund baby" to start a business 🔔 BREAKING NEWS: Amy announces LaBelle is launching a DISTILLERY in 2026! Plus: Her best advice for entrepreneurs, 8 proposals at LaBelle Lights this winter, and what she's most proud of (hint: it's not the awards). 📍 LaBelle Winery: LaBelleWinery.com 📍 Amy's personal brand: AmyLaBelle.com 📱 Instagram: @labellewinery | @amylabellewinemaker 🔺@AmyLaBelleWinemaker — ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Intro: Who is Amy LaBelle? 1:00 — Where to find LaBelle Winery online 1:55 — When did this stop being just a winery? 3:55 — The early days: Making wine in a barn 5:34 — 4,083 days from dream to doors 7:24 — "Unreasonable Hospitality" & the theater of it all 8:36 — Harvest House update (and the town delay) 9:28 — The vision: Wake up in a winery 11:01 — DiRōNA Award & OpenTable's 100 Best Brunch 13:32 — A day in the life of Amy LaBelle 13:45 — Meet Melanie: The winemaker running the cellar 17:00 — Working with Caesar: Staying in your lane 20:50 — Caesar's immigration story & "Frankie the Ghost Train" 22:18 — Empowering Angels: Only 2% of wineries are founded by women 23:04 — 🚨 BREAKING: Distillery coming 2026! 24:00 — End 68 Hours of Hunger: Fresh fruit for kids 27:01 — 2025 Woman of Distinction 27:47 — "You don't have to be a trust fund baby" 29:07 — Cooking classes & Start a Business from Scratch 33:44 — What NH hospitality gets right 35:10 — Inside Americus: The moody, sexy restaurant 37:07 — LaBelle Lights: 8 proposals this winter 40:24 — Lightning Round 🔥 44:53 — What she's most proud of (this one hits) 46:26 — Outro — BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Hosted by Carol Lawrence — owner of Red Arrow Diner and 35+ year veteran of the New Hampshire hospitality industry. Each week, Carol sits down with the people behind NH's restaurants, bars, and food businesses to hear what drives them beyond the plate. 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday CONNECT WITH CAROL & BEYOND THE PLATE: 📺 YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol 📸 Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh | @CarolSew 📘 Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH 🎵 TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate RED ARROW DINER Four locations across New Hampshire — Manchester, Concord, Nashua & Londonderry. Open 24/7, serving scratch-made food since 1922. 🌐 redarrowdiner.com 📸 Instagram: @redarrow24diner 📘 Facebook: Red Arrow Diner #BeyondThePlate #LaBelleWinery #AmyLaBelle #NewHampshire #NHWinery #WomenInWine #Hospitality #Entrepreneur #NHFood #RedArrowDiner

Ben Normandeau was an electrician when the pandemic hit. Bored, he picked up a Weber kettle and started smoking meat. Then he cold-called over 50 of the best barbecue joints in Texas — only Joseph at Zavala’s BBQ in Grand Prairie responded. Ben flew down, showed up at 2 in the morning, and trained. He came home, built a food truck, parked it in his mom’s driveway, and 603 BBQ was born. Now he and pitmaster Andrew Moran run one of the most talked-about barbecue spots in New England. Lines out the door every day. Sold out every day. People driving from Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut just to get in line. In this episode we cover the full journey: training in Texas, the 13-hour smoking process, what it’s like selling out daily, the craziest customer stories, the menu, their dream collaborations, and a charity dinner with Tuckaway Tavern coming April 18th. This episode is proudly sponsored by Red Arrow Diner — four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com FIND 603 BBQ: • Location: 126 Hall Street, Unit A, Concord, NH • Hours: Thu–Sat, 12pm–6pm (or sold out) • Website: bbqnh.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/603bbq/100075863953612/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/603bbq • Phone: (603) 333-5387 BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Real stories. Real people. Real conversations. Carol Lawrence- Erickson is the owner of the iconic Red Arrow Diners — open 24/7 in Manchester, Londonderry, Concord, and Nashua. Each episode, she sits down with entrepreneurs, chefs, and community leaders for honest conversations about food, business, and everything in between. 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/beyondtheplatenh/ 🔗 Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Intro & Teaser 1:35 — Welcome & Red Arrow Diner Sponsor 2:08 — Where to Find 603 BBQ 2:49 — Ben’s Journey: Electrician to BBQ 4:22 — How Andrew Got Involved (Smoke Show Roots) 6:10 — What the Families Thought 7:35 — Cold-Calling Zavala’s BBQ in Texas 9:22 — Training in Texas at 2AM 12:24 — Going Back to Texas & Opening Day 13:35 — What Joseph Taught Him: “Just Let It Ride” 15:25 — Sharing Recipes & the Brisket Class 17:29 — Andrew’s Typical Day: Life on the Smokers 21:45 — The 8-Hour Cook Just to Open at Noon 24:00 — Working in the Elements 27:38 — Walk-Through: What to Expect at 603 BBQ 29:40 — First Sold-Out Day (Day One) 31:15 — The New Ordering System & Wait Times 33:08 — The Menu: Sausages, Texas Twinkies & More 37:20 — Texas Twinkies: 75 Lbs of Jalapeños by Hand 39:00 — People Driving from All Over the Map 39:52 — Pittsburgh Guys: 9-Hour Drive Story 40:32 — Ray from Connecticut: Slept in His Car Story 42:15 — Selling Out Every Day: Stress or Motivation? 43:42 — Guy Fieri Dream & Bobby Marcotte Connection 44:48 — April 18th Charity Dinner with Tuckaway Tavern 47:09 — What’s Next for 603 BBQ 50:17 — Concord Roots: Born & Raised 51:58 — Shout Out to the Team 53:14 — Lightning Round 54:26 — Advice for Starting a Food Business 57:03 — Favorite Spots to Eat in Concord 59:01 — Dream Collaborations: Guy Fieri & Dave Portnoy 1:00:47 — Closing & Thank You

What does it take to leave a corporate kitchen and build something of your own for 25 years? In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, I sit down with Lisa DeSisto, owner of Rig A' Tony's Italian Takeout & Catering in Derry, NH and Clam Haven. Lisa left Bertucci's in 2000 to start Rig A' Tony's — and she's been a Derry staple ever since. In 2020, she bought the 70-year-old Clam Haven to preserve its legacy and keep the tradition alive. If you've seen her on WMUR Chronicle, you already know — she's hilarious, she's passionate, and she's the real deal. This is her very first podcast ever. WE TALK ABOUT: Leaving Bertucci's to start Rig A' Tony's in 2000 25 years of feeding families in Derry Buying Clam Haven to save a 70-year tradition Her son Anthony and carrying on the legacy All those Chronicle appearances (and the famous bloopers 😂) What it really takes to survive in the restaurant business Family recipes and doing things the right way TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro CONNECT WITH LISA & RIG A' TONY'S: 🔗 Website: rigatonysitalian.com 📍 Location: 38 W Broadway, Derry, NH 📘 Facebook: Rig A' Tony's Italian Takeout & Catering 📸 Instagram: @rigatonysitalian CLAM HAVEN: 📍 Derry, NH 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/clamhaven BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Real stories. Real people. Real conversations. Carol Lawrence- Erikson is the owner of the iconic Red Arrow Diners — open 24/7 in Manchester, Londonderry, Concord, and Nashua. Each episode, she sits down with entrepreneurs, chefs, and community leaders for honest conversations about food, business, and hospitality. 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 📸 Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh 🔗 Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com — #LisaDeSisto #RigATonys #ClamHaven #DerryNH #NewHampshire #ItalianFood #Chronicle #WMUR #BeyondThePlate #CarolLawrence #RedArrowDiner #NHRestaurants #NHEats #FamilyRecipes #NewEngland #SmallBusiness

What does it take to run a restaurant for 25 years? Chef Jeffrey Paige and his wife Peaches have the answer. In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, I sit down with the couple behind Cotton in Manchester's Millyard. Jeffrey started washing dishes at 13 and was an executive chef by 21. He cooked for Julia Child, got featured on Good Morning America, wrote a cookbook that sold over 300,000 copies, and pioneered farm-to-table in New Hampshire back in 1991 — long before it was trendy. Peaches runs the front of house and is the mastermind behind Cotton's award-winning cocktail program. Together, they've built one of Manchester's most beloved restaurants — and they just signed a new 10-year lease. WE TALK ABOUT: Jeffrey's journey from dishwasher at 13 to executive chef at 21 Cooking for Julia Child (multiple times!) Getting on Good Morning America Farm-to-table before it was a trend The CIA and being named a Top 100 alumni Peaches' cocktail philosophy and best martinis in NH 25 years of Cotton and what's next The famous popcorn shrimp and buttermilk fried chicken Why they've never eaten together at their own restaurant CONNECT WITH COTTON: 🔗 Website: cottonfood.com 📍 Location: 75 Arms Street, Manchester NH (Millyard) 📘 Facebook: Cotton Restaurant- facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064358671810 📸 Instagram: @cottonrestaurant

How do you spend 20 years building relationships in one city — and then find an even better way to give back? In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, I sit down with Erik Lesniak, Business Liaison for the City of Manchester's Economic Development Office. Erik spent nearly two decades with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats before stepping into a brand-new role helping small businesses navigate and thrive in Manchester. WE TALK ABOUT: 20 years with the Fisher Cats and why he made the jump What a Business Liaison actually does (hint: it's all about relationships) The Salvation Army and ringing bells since 2005 His son Jaden's miracle story — 47 days in the NICU Being named 2025 St. Patrick's Parade Grand Marshal Why walking Manchester every day matters Dave's Hot Chicken and recruiting businesses to the city His favorite lunch spot: Dun Thai — CONNECT WITH MANCHESTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 🔗 Website: manchesternh.gov 📘 Facebook: Manchester Economic Development Office MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🍗 Dave's Hot Chicken 🍜 Dun Thai (South Maple Street) ⚾ New Hampshire Fisher Cats 🔔 Salvation Army of Manchester 🛍️ Mall of New Hampshire — BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Real stories. Real people. Real conversations. Carol Lawrence is the owner of the iconic Red Arrow Diners — open 24/7 in Manchester, Londonderry, Concord, and Nashua. Each episode, she sits down with entrepreneurs, chefs, and community leaders for honest conversations about food, business, and everything in between. 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 🔗 Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com — #ErikLesniak #ManchesterNH #QueenCity #NewHampshire #FisherCats #SalvationArmy #GrandMarshal #BeyondThePlate #CarolLawrence #RedArrowDiner #NHBusiness #EconomicDevelopment #SmallBusiness #CommunityLeaders #NewEngland

How do restaurant menus actually get made? In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, Chef Nicole Barrera — Director of Marketing & Menus at Great NH Restaurants — shares how she went from busing tables at 14 to writing the menus for T-Bones, Cactus Jack's, and Copper Door in New Hampshire. We talk about: -How restaurant menus are developed -The story behind her famous pink chef jacket -FEED NH and giving back over $1M to New Hampshire communities -Why CTE culinary programs matter -Work ethic, women in culinary leadership, and building a career in hospitality TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 0:00 - Nicole's culinary journey starts at 14 0:00 - The pager story 0:00 - Annie V's and early restaurant jobs 0:00 - SNHU culinary program 0:00 - Getting hired at T-Bones 0:00 - The pink chef jacket story 0:00 - How menus actually get made 0:00 - FEED NH and giving back 0:00 - Advice for young people in hospitality CONNECT WITH CHEF NICOLE & GREAT NH RESTAURANTS: 🔗 Website: https://greatnhrestaurants.com 🔗 T-Bones: https://t-bones.com 🔗 FEED NH: https://feednh.org 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/chef.tbones 📸 Instagram: @greatnhrestaurants BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Beyond the Plate is a New Hampshire podcast hosted by Carol Lawrence, owner of Red Arrow Diner. Each episode features real conversations with chefs, restaurant owners, and community leaders about food, business, and hospitality in New Hampshire. 📺 Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 🔗 Red Arrow Diner: https://redarrowdiner.com — #ChefNicoleBarrera #TBones #CopperDoor #CactusJacks #GreatNHRestaurants #FEEDNH #NewHampshire #NHEats #BeyondThePlate #CarolLawrence #RedArrowDiner #WomenInCulinary #ChefLife #RestaurantLife #HospitalityPodcast #NHPodcast #NewHampshireFood

Shelby Rossetti didn't plan on a restaurant career when she walked into a Ground Round at 18 to pay for college—but she met her husband there, made great money, and never looked back. Thirty years later, after managing TGI Fridays locations across New England (including opening AND closing the South Willow location) and running her own weighted blanket business, she's now the General Manager at Evviva Trattoria in Bedford, bringing her decades of hospitality experience to this family-owned modern Italian concept. From signature Italian Street Fries to creating a team culture that "feels like home," Shelby shares what makes Evviva special, how her journey brought her full circle in New England's restaurant industry, and why she'd be an electrician if she wasn't running restaurants. Visit Evviva Trattoria Bedford: 📍 Website: www.evvivatrattoria.com/bedford 📱 Instagram: @evvivatrattoria 👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/evvivatrattoria About Carol Lawrence: Carol Lawrence is the owner of the iconic Red Arrow Diners and host of Beyond the Plate, a podcast celebrating the people, stories, and passion behind New England's hospitality industry. Follow Beyond the Plate: Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh Facebook: @beyondtheplatenh Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts #RestaurantManagement #NewEnglandRestaurants #HospitalityIndustry #EvvivaTrattoria #BedfordNH #ItalianRestaurant #CareerJourney #RedArrowDiner #BeyondThePlate #WomenInHospitality

Episode 27 is all about the heart and hustle behind La Carreta S. Willow Manchester NH! Jefferson Moreno Rivera shares how this spot keeps evolving, and Krystal jumps in with the kind of behind‑the‑bar magic that keeps the place glowing. Food, vibes, stories — this one has it all.

Big flavor, big personality, and big achievements — Episode 26 brings Bobby Marcotte to the table! The chef behind Tuckaway Tavern, Hop & Grind, Rise & Grind, and The Barn at Merry Hill, whose work has caught national eyes far beyond New Hampshire. We dive into creativity, hustle, and what it takes to stand out. You don’t want to miss this one!

I sat down with Judi Window of Diz’s Cafe—a true Manchester NH pillar. We talk front-of-house hospitality, Gary running the back, a crew full of family, and why you might literally be eating off your great-grandmother’s plate. Eclectic, funky, warm… this is what “supper” feels like downtown.

Ken Sheldon, better known as Fred Marple of Frost Heaves, joins me for a conversation filled with laughter, storytelling, and pure New Hampshire charm. From small-town humor to big-hearted lessons, this episode celebrates community, kindness, and his newest book, “Utter Nonsense.”

Sip Woodod joins me to share the journey from washing dishes to leading three local favorites: USA Chicken & Biscuit, The Halal Spot, and Rumi Kabob House. We talk resilience, family, faith, flavors, and what it really takes to keep guests coming back!

For the first time ever, I took Beyond the Plate with Carol on the road to the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival and I got to chat with Nicki Courtois, owner of Lupe’s 55 Cantina! Nicki brings big energy, bold flavors, and serious heart to everything at Lupe’s. With creative dishes like her street tacos - she’s built a place that locals and tourist can’t stop talking about!! This episode is all about passion for food, building community, and what it takes to keep things cooking on Hampton Beach.

Step inside 815 Cocktails & Provisions with co-owners Sarah Maillet and Ryan McCabe. They’ve built more than a restaurant — it’s a space where great food, creative drinks, and genuine hospitality come together beautifully.

This week’s episode is with Jeff Hastings — a true storyteller behind the lens! His eye for detail and heart for people are what make his work so special. We talked about what keeps him inspired, the power of community, and the importance of capturing life as it happens. Such a thoughtful, inspiring chat!

I sat down with Sue Pappalardo, the heartbeat of Aunty’s Italian Kitchen. We talk growing up in an Italian home, learning to cook from her dad, and why she insists on scratch sauce, hand-pounded cutlets, and doing things the right way. If you love stories about grit, family, and food that sells out because it’s made with care—this one’s for you.

This episode features Chelsea Stoddard, the creative force behind Queen City Cupcakes. We talk about how her shop came to life, the joy of dreaming up new flavors, and the everyday fun that comes with running a business. It’s lighthearted, it’s inspiring, and it’s guaranteed to make you smile.

It all starts with KC’s Rib Shack: a barbecue joint born from weekend cookouts that became a true New Hampshire landmark. Over the years, the space has grown and transformed, adding unique touches like a tiki bar, beautiful Barn, and a thriving catering arm. And now, the latest chapter unfolds with Rock N Roll Meatballs — a bold new take mixing music, meatball flights, and plenty of flavor!

Join me for a conversation with Chef Chris Noble as we look back on how he got started, the lessons learned along the way, and what it means to cook from the heart. We also talk about his latest chapter at Figaro’s and how he’s bringing his own style and passion to the menu.

In this episode, I chatted with Phil Pelletier, the flavor mastermind behind Smokin’ Tin Roof. We talked about the leap from IT to food entrepreneur, the art of creating sauces that wow your taste buds, and the joy of seeing customers come back for more. A fun, flavorful journey that goes well BEYOND the plate.

Hospitality, history, and heart — that’s what The Crown Tavern is all about. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Zach Graham to hear how he grew with the Crown, why customer service drives everything they do, and what guests can expect when they walk through those iconic doors. Plus, a fun reveal at the end!

Pizza, people, and passion — Episode 13 had it all! My guest, Eliot Lawrence of Alley Cat Pizzeria, joined me in the Glenn Room for a conversation that was as fun as it was flavorful. This one goes BEYOND the dough, BEYOND the toppings…and straight into what keeps the Alley Cat clawing its way to the top.

Pam Provencher walks us through her creative process at Granite State Escape – from dreaming up new worlds to watching players celebrate that big win. These rooms are more than games… they’re experiences.

Episode 11 is a deep dive into Manchester’s dining scene with Justin Clutter, the driving force behind three incredible restaurants. We talk about what it takes to keep guests coming back and the exciting plans for the future. Click below to watch!

It’s Episode 10! I sat down with my dear friend and powerhouse restaurateur Priscilla Rondeau of 900 Degrees. We talked pizza, wings, grandbabies, and what 18 years in the business really looks like. This one’s full of warmth, laughter, and love.

I sat down with Dante Marino—the loud, creative force behind Deadproof Pizza—to peel back the layers of pop‑ups, record‑breaking nights, and what makes their fans keep coming back.

In this episode of Beyond the Plate, I get into the weeds with Neville Perera to talk restaurant roots, reinventing spaces, and the power of outdoor seating in the heart of Manchester.

What happens when you combine a love for hospitality, family roots in baking, and a heart for people? You get Just the Sip. Chrystina and I talk about food, flavor, faith, and how a humble food truck is becoming a true community staple.

I sat down with Steven Freeman, the heart behind Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop in Manchester, NH. We talked about everything from homemade pasta to his passion for Frank Lloyd Wright — including his incredible journey visiting Wright homes and preparing meals in their kitchens. It’s a story about food, design, and the joy of meaningful connections.