MARGARITAS MAKES MEXICAN MEALS MAGNIFICO

In Manchester, New Hampshire, Margaritas has all tongues wagging. It’s a fabulous restaurant totally dedicated to Mexican dishes, drinks and Mexican culture in ways that are close up and palpably pleasing, Owners, John  and Dave Pelletier love the country so much, they created a superb haven for immersing us in the country, cuisine and its causes with a variety  of surprises that are utterly impressive and inspiring.   With its 27 locations in New England, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Margaritas makes its invaluable  - not to mention tasty - mark in America.

Known for its drinks and wraparound big bar, Margaritas has created great exotic ones such as Russelrita with its creamy, smooth raspberry and strawberry flavours;  Pepino, that’s big on habanero lime, mint and cucumber and two more originals, called  Blood Orange is a real favourite. 

 Tortilla chips and salsa come free to your table.

I had the Naked Coconut that lived up to its name in such a refreshing way. Bartenders  make the margarita mix – all with fresh puree for the fruit ones. No bottled flavours here!  The wrap-around bar is so inviting and a popular hotspot.

I returned twice to Maragritas. I loved the cheese enchilada, beef taco, the crusty – oh-so-good mini chicken chimichanga.



 I have to encourage you to start with that cheese enchilada from the alacarte menu. It was divine with its sweetish cream sauce and the corn tortilla.

 The black beans are as good as the guacamole you’ll get in several dishes, such as the fajita salad and Enchiladas Banderas.  

The dessert I indulged in was mama mia amazing: Margaritas Famous Fried Ice Cream. It’s a huge ball-shaped delight of vanilla ice cream within a salty crushed pretzel shell. Covered in chocolate sauce or honey or both – if you want to go all out – this super sweet-and-salty creation is unforgettable.

 As you eat and drink, the Mexican music and décor adds further sensory pleasure. It creates an atmosphere that colourfully captures all the flavours in the food. 

Every piece of furniture, every tile, every vase, mask and statue and comes from the country. Spacious and seductive with its vivid colourful lighting, you’ll feel like you truly are in Mexico. 

Fabulous programs bring children into the restaurant to view the art, learn about the culture and even how to make guacamole during a presentation. Exchange programs to heighten awareness bring both cultures together; many Mexicans come here to present their craft.

There is so much going on at Margaritas to bring Mexican culture directly to Manchester’s folks. It the owners’ mandate that deliciously appeals to everyone who mixes at Margaritas.

The address is: 1037 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire
Call +1 903-647-7717
The website is www.margs.com

KAYAKING WITH THE WORLD’S GREATEST LOON PHOTOGRAPHER

John Rockwood

When John Rockwood invited me to kayak with him to see the loons on Lake Massabesic in Auburn, New Hampshire, I literally went loonie. I love these endangered birds, and was fortunate to learn more about them by visiting the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) on two occasions in Meredith, New Hampshire. Here I met Harry who heads the organization. It was Harry Vogel who kindly put me in touch with John. John's renowned for his passion for and vast knowledge of loons. A true naturalist, he has dedicated most of his waking life photographing the loons on Lake Massabesic, kayaking through its 2500 acres since 2002.

            John explained the breadth of the lake; finding loons is no easy feat

The east side is around 1500 acres; the west side around 1000 acres.  The lake is divided by the loons into eight territories of various sizes – four on each half.  Each territory is normally occupied and defended by a pair of loons that may or may not nest each year.

His astounding videos and photographs invaluably chronicle patterns of feeding habits, territorial shifts, interactions and more. 

Monitoring the loons on the lake has become a way of life for John.

“After 25 years in Hi-tech, my office is the great outdoors. I now get to share my love of nature through my photos, videos and lectures.”

John has animated many educational sessions at the LPC, and his photographs have been exhibited in several prestigious venues, including the prestigious Audubon Society.

Most remarkably, John made friends with a particular family who became attached to him. They seemed to wait for his kayak to appear and keep him company. One chick in this loon family became so fond of John, he was immortalized by John in a beautiful book called Grapenut. In this book, he details the story of his relationship with this loon’s family little chick which he named Grapenut. The book stunningly displays photo after photo – each one vividly accompanying the various day-to-day activities and antics of this adorable chick. 

“My two seasons with  Grapenut taught me how to capture seldom seen details of a loon family's life through photos and video.”

His humor, humility and wonderful anecdotes entertained me as I tried to stay alongside him and his wife Suzanne – despite their slowing down for me.

Suzanne
 Rockwood

 Keen on spotting loons, we realized it might not happen. 

The heat that day was oppressive, so after two hours of hoping for loon sighting, we decided to return. It was then that four loons appeared. John immediately pointed, took out his camera and began shooting.

Emboldened by their appearance, we lingered longer to watch them dive, then distance themselves from us. But I noted one of them came right up to John’s kayak.  

Maybe these loons know how much he’s done and continues to do as their committed crusader. He furthers their survival through his engaging talks and his inspiring visuals.

Learn more about John by visiting his website: http://theloonmannh.net

CHEDDAR & RYE

 I'm in Manchester, New Hampshire, feasting on the best grilled cheese sandwiches which only the most imaginative of chefs could conjure up. Andrew Thistle, the owner of this totally tasty casual place with its 90s’ vibe. Andrew is an awesome creator; he conceives and cooks the most original combos in his grilled cheese goodies – many of them are named after 10 comic book characters. He uses 10 different cheeses from around the world along with a slew of options in there to to fill you up. There is gluten-free vegetarian and vegan numbers - all sandwiched between six different kinds of locally made bread.

I ordered the Two Face, made with home-made fig jam, caramelised onions, apple slivers and maple vinegar with bacon. It was delicious. I also had the Lex Luther sandwich. It consists of beer braised pork, house barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese and crispy onions. Choose  your fave comic book and order the sandwich named after it: Aquamarine (classic  tuna melt), There’s Venom, Ghost Rider, Green Hornet and others that add humour and taste to every bite. Andrew is soon to open up a wonderful whiskey bar beside Cheddar & Rye. Enjoy 4 tastings of great whiskey in this classic whisky bar with 300 plus bottles of America’s finest.

I topped by sensational sandwiches off with Andew’s delectable and highly unusual dessert. It’s called Black Canary. Scrumptious on the taste buds and in texture, it boasts the adage: dare to be different. Have you ever had a dessert made with bacon, potato chips, nutella and mascarpone cheese? It’s high time you did.? And to think this humble genius with his one-of-a-kind grilled sandwiches went to Les Roches, a prestigious chef school in Switzerland and was executive Chef and General Manager in loads of great restaurants. It all came down to gorgeously great non-greasy grilled cheese sandwiches with whiskey to whisk you off into more indulgent dreams.

Here's the website: https://cheddarandrye.com/
You can call (603) 232-3751

BUY BUST (Directed by Eric Matti) ***

Nina Manigan is part of a tough training cop squad. She’s been transferred to this new rookie squad after having lost her own squad in a shoot-out over drugs. They are about to entrap Biggie, the leader of this huge drug ring when everything goes form bad to rotten. Welcome to the squalor of the slums of Manila. Murder, mayhem and a riot resulting in a sea of killings, perpetrated by everyone, including the locals living in these tin tumbledown dwellings show everyone is against the police and the drug kings.

It really is a bloodbath movie graphically showing endless ways to cut up, stab, shoot, strangle, bat- beat and bludgeon those in your way. There is a Judas in the police force, but only the ending reveals who it is. Manigan saves the day of course. She’s a hero of comic book dimensions. (Screened at the New York Asian Film Festival)

CODA (Directed by Alan Holly) ****

Ryuichi Sakamoto, a genius composer form Japan has throat cancer, yet his drive to keep composing is dauntless. This documentary shows him at work in the creative process, traveling to distant lands, including the North Pole to record nature’s sounds and then making soundscape music that is breathtaking.

PARADOX (Directed by Wilson Yip)****

In Hong Kong, a wonderful little daughter and Li Chung Chi, her dad – a former cop - are as close as can be. The mom was killed in a car accident (shown in flashbacks) The daughter, now grown up, goes missing in Taiwan. The dad is devastated. The cop in Taiwan likes Li and together they decide to help one another. Bu Li is on a war path to find his daughter. He eventually does and the reason for her disappearance is ghastly and full of political intrigue. Lots of incredible Kong-Fu and just enough violence to make you shudder. What will happen to Li is not what he wanted, but with revenge, you have to pay the piper. (Screened at the New York Asian Film Festival)

1987 WHEN TOMORROW COMES (Directed by Jang Joon-hwan)*****

A stunning tour de force that recaptures the horrific corruption in South Korea used by Chun Doo-hwan that turned the country into a regressive state of repression against students and adults who objected and were portrayed as Communists. But even the cause of democracy was crushed by his henchmen. North Korean defector Park Jeol-won has a personal axe to grind against all commies. He heads the office of against all commies. He heads the office of Anticommunist Investigation.  Plot-wise, a student is tortured and a huge cover-up ensues. The Seoul Olympics is not too far off, and so all must look good. Lawyers, journalists and student revolutionaries are murdered. What a gripping film this is, and an important one. In this film, North Korea and South Korea could have been one and the same. (Sceened at New York Asian Film Festival)